More Than a Promise
by Above the Winter Moonlight
Summary: COMPLETE Post GoF AU When the wards around the Dursley household fall and  the teacher that Harry Potter dislikes the most saves him, Harry soon learns some truths about the professor he thought he'd always dislike. 1 of 3
1. The Fall of the Wards

**More Than a Promise**

_**Disclaimer- **__I do not own Harry Potter and I am only saying this once so I will not repeat it in later chapters_

**Notes: **Before I begin, I want everyone to know that this is set in an alternate universe where underage magic is allowed so long as it is not in the presence of muggles, three characters, who are not animagi in canon, are animagi and one Malfoy is good. This is likely to be a short story, by second story of any length to take place after _Goblets of Fire_, so here is the first chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciate.

**One**

**The Fall of the Wards**

Harry Potter could tell something was off with his relatives almost immediately by the way they occasionally glanced out the window and rushed back and forth to pack. Though Harry was unsure of what it is his relatives were doing, he knew he could place a good guess and it would most likely be very close to the actual truth. Harry watched from the top of the steps as his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon dashed back and forth across the first floor of the house packing everything in sight.

"You're lucky we didn't do this earlier," Vernon growled angrily glaring balefully at Harry. "But you and your freakishness are not going to harm our family ever again. And don't you even think about telling your little freaky friends of what's happening."

Harry just stayed silently although he was absolutely sure that they would know even if he didn't tell them. He had been told from an early age that anything and everything that went on within the household was not to be repeated to anyone outside of the house. In all honesty, Harry couldn't help but wonder why it was that he actually considered this place to be his home when he was treated as nothing more than an outcast and a burden. Often, in the past, his aunt and uncle both made him feel as though he was just that, a burden, and his cousin Dudley just made matters worse in that respect.

"Come on, Vernon, we need to get out of here before those freaks get wind of what we're doing," Petunia called as she pulled a suitcase behind her and headed out through the door.

Vernon nodded curtly. "Hurry up, Dudley, we're leaving," he called upstairs and Harry found himself pushed to the side by the bulk of Dudley's form accompanied with his suitcases.

"Coming dad," Dudley called before he glanced at Harry, snorted, and added, "Finally we get to get away from the freak," before also leaving the house until Harry and Vernon were the only ones left within it.

"Now just stay up there, you freak," Vernon growled before he, too, left the house and slammed the door shut behind him. Harry watched as his uncle locked the door behind him before he sighed and got to his feet. He walked down the steps and toward the cupboard beneath the stairs, that had been his home for the first ten years of his life, before he opened it, glad his uncle hadn't locked it before leaving.

Pulling his wand out of his trunk, Harry tucked it away before pulling the rest of his stuff from the cupboard. He figured it was best to be safe rather than sorry when it came to the fact that Voldemort was back and he was by himself now that his aunt and uncle were gone. It was only about two weeks into the summer holidays and, because of yet another bout of accidental magic like the one that blew up his Aunt Marge, his aunt and uncle decided they had enough. So Harry hadn't the slightest clue as to what he was supposed to do and how the bloody hell he was supposed to make it out of this one especially since it was likely the wards were on the verge of falling.

_If they haven't fallen already,_ Harry thought as he carried his trunk to Dudley's second bedroom and walked over to the cage where Hedwig was just waking up.

"Hi there girl," Harry greeted the owl who chirped in response before fluttering her feathers. "Do you want to go flying, Hedwig?"

Hedwig chirped in response and Harry opened the cage before walking over to the window, which was no longer covered with bars, before opening it. Hedwig flew out of her cage before out of the window and spread her feathery wings. She shot up into the sky and Harry watched her go, glad that his familiar and friend was able to finally fly free.

Sighing, Harry sank down on his bed before gazing out at the sky as the sun began to fall and the rays of dying sunlight bled through the window and into the room. The first stars of twilight twinkled into existence and Harry watched the stars for a long moment before he decided that if anything was going to happen tomorrow then he may as well be well rested and prepared for it.

* * *

><p>After reporting what he had learned about the dark lord and his followers to the members of the Order of the Phoenix just before they left on their own separate missions the day before, Severus was otherwise surprised to find himself waking up the following day to the sound of someone floo calling him. He was currently resting at his family's cottage, which was situated on the countryside on the outskirts of London, and he knew that only a select few knew of where his home was located.<p>

The cottage was basically a resort away from his abusive father where his mother took him whenever she could until she died. When Severus came of age, he left his father and moved in to the cottage soon before his father died. Ever since then, even when he caused his best friend and only love to walk away from him, joined the Death Eaters, turned spy for the Order of the Phoenix and received forgiveness from his best friend and only love, he spent his summer at the cottage.

Severus had been surprised when he received forgiveness from his beloved Lily soon after her son, Harry, had been born. Soon after that, Lily had asked him to protect her son should anything happen to her. Severus had agreed and, ever since then, he has strived to fulfill his promise while at the same time try not to throttle the arrogant little brat that was Harry bloody Potter, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived.

The floo call came again and Severus finally got to his feet and, after transfiguring his sleepwear into his more traditional clothing, he left his bedroom and walked down the hall into the living room. He made his way across the living room before answering the call and the head of Albus Dumbledore poked through the green flames. "Ah Severus my boy," he greeted him.

"What do you want, Albus?" Severus asked flatly.

"Do you mind if I step over? It will not take long but this stooping isn't good for my old bones."

"May as well." Severus was absolutely sure that Albus would step over anyway even if he told him not to.

Albus smiled before his head disappeared and his whole colorful body appeared through the floo. "I still have some things to do that are important at the moment with the Ministry of Magic but I managed to escape for a few minutes," he said.

"Will you get on with it, headmaster?"

"Very well, Severus. The wards around the Dursley household have fallen," Albus said quietly. "And I'm worried. The blood wards can only fall if the Dursleys leave or if Harry no longer considers the place as his home."

Severus curled his lip in a sneer. "The bloody brat most likely doesn't consider the place his home because he no longer gets whatever he wants. Typical of a Potter to do something to warrant attention from everyone, attention seeking brat," he hissed.

"Oh Severus, if you would just take the time to know Harry then you would see that he is not his father," Albus said gently.

Severus sneered in response. "So what does this have to do with me?"

"You're the only one I can spare and…"

"No."

"Severus, I have not even asked…"

"I will not do it, Albus."

"Please, Severus, you're the only one I can spare. Every other member of the Order has been given a mission, Hogwarts is very nearly empty at the moment and Sirius has as of yet to be cleared of all charges so you're the only one that can at least check on him to make sure everything is all right and perhaps speak with the Dursleys," the headmaster said.

Severus scowled angrily. "And if everything is _not_ all right?"

"I shall leave that to your discretion. Besides, you promised Lily that you would protect her son should he need it."

"You don't need to remind me, Albus. I do remember that promise," Severus said flatly.

"Then why don't you go check on him right away before something happens? It is likely that if I know the wards have fallen then it will not be long before Tom also learns this truth."

"If the Dark Lord does learn of this then he will likely call me to him to celebrate his victory over the brat after he sends someone like Lucius or Crabbe to get the brat for him," Severus said. "He has not called me since yesterday so it's very likely he's still in the dark." He paused for a moment before adding reluctantly, "Very well, Albus, I will go check up on the Potter brat."

"Thank you my boy. Now then, I'd best get back before things get worse. The Ministry of Magic is still being stubborn to accept that Voldemort has come back."

"The Ministry is full of a bunch of paranoid hypocritical dunderheads."

"Truly, Severus, but I must go now," said Albus before he disappeared through the floo.

Sighing and wondering how in the world he was able to get manipulated into doing this but figuring it was because of the promise he made to Lily, Severus left the cottage. Walking past the wards that surrounded Prince Cottage, Severus turned on the spot before apparating to Privet Drive with a barely heard _crack_.

When he arrived on the street, he transfigured his clothing until it was muggle before gazing around and keeping his wand out but hidden. He knew that he was being a bit paranoid but there was a chance that a Death Eater could be watching the street. It wasn't likely because then the Death Eater would have informed the dark lord that the wards were down. Still, Severus felt it was better to be safe rather than to be sorry.

Upon reaching Number 4 Privet Drive, Severus was struck by how empty it looked. There wasn't a single car in the driveway and all the lights were off; the house gave off a deserted feeling that did not suit Severus well. Severus cast a quick spell to determine whether or not the house was being watched but he decided to be safe rather than sorry once again.

When the spell came back with no results, Severus knocked on the door before waiting somewhat impatiently for anyone to answer the door. He doubted that anyone would answer and so he was a bit surprised when the door was unlocked and opened up to reveal the small form of the fourteen year old Harry Potter.

"Professor Snape?" Potter widened his eyes briefly in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Severus curled his lip in a sneer. "Do you greet all of your guests in such a way, Potter?" he said curtly.

"Oh, uh, I wasn't expecting anyone really," Potter admitted before he stepped aside and added, "You can come in if you want."

Severus took the boy upon his offer and stepped into the house, noting that the house looked even more empty on the inside then on the outside. _What happened here?_ Severus wondered silently.

* * *

><p>Harry had been surprised when someone knocked on the door and he grew even more shocked when he opened it to reveal the form of the Hogwarts professor he disliked the most. He knew better than to draw attention to that fact, although he was sure that Snape knew of how much he disliked him and Snape hated him. "So why are you here, Professor?" he asked.<p>

Snape was examining the empty house with narrowed eyes. "What happened here? Where are your bloody relatives?" he asked curtly turning his gaze to Harry.

Harry frowned, unsure of what to say although it was obvious what happened. "They left," he replied.

"And why would they do that?"

Harry glowered at the Potions Professor. "Why else would they leave and take everything with them?" he snapped back.

"Don't be cheeky, Potter," Snape hissed. "And this is not the time to try my patience. Are they likely to come back?"

"Probably not," Harry said angrily. "After all, no one gets up, packs everything up and leaves the house if they wish to come back."

Snape scowled angrily before he raised his wand and cast a quick spell that Harry couldn't hear before swearing under his breath. "We need to get you out of here before the dark lord's supporters find out the wards have fallen," he said.

"The wards fell?"

"Yes now go get your trunk, your wand and your owl and we'll leave before they get here."

"I don't know…"

"Potter, this is not open for debate. Go get your stuff, now!" Snape barked angrily his wand in his hand as he glanced toward the window and the street. "The dark lord's supporters cannot catch us here."

Harry glowered at the Potions Professor but did as he was told and jogged up the staircase. He slipped into his bedroom before grabbing his trunk and holding out an arm to Hedwig who flew onto it. He then grabbed Hedwig's cage before walking out of the room and back down the staircase.

"We're going to side long apparate, Potter," Snape said. "Since Hogwarts is unprotected at the moment, you're going to have to come with me to my home, however much I do not like it."

He then grabbed Harry's arm and turned on the spot, disappearing from Number 4 Privet Drive with a soft _crack_. They reappeared on the edge of a winding stone path that led to a one story building. Snape released Harry before leading the way up the path. "Let's go," he said not bothering to break stride.

"This is where you live?" Harry asked as he followed Snape toward the one story cottage.

Snape sneered but he kept whatever sardonic comment he was thinking of to himself. "Yes," he said simply before he walked to the door and tapped his wand against it, causing the door to swing open before he led the way into a living room. Harry examined the inside of the house curiously; the living room was organized in such a way that a couch and a chair was situated in front of the fireplace with a circular glass table in between them. There was a hallway in front of him with seven doors to the left of him and, beyond the living room, was a kitchen with a circular table in it.

"Come, Potter, you may stay in one of the spare rooms," Snape said before he led the way down the hallway and toward one of the doors. He opened it up before stepping aside.

Harry examined the room and he was a bit surprised to find that it was bigger than Dudley's second bedroom. He'd never think that his hated Potions Professor would provide him with more than his relatives ever did, especially now that they weren't in school.

"Well don't just stand there. It's as if you've never seen a room his large before," Snape sneered.

Harry glared at Snape but bit back the sharp retort that was on the tip of his tongue, his uncle's rules still on his mind. "Thank you, Professor," he said before he stepped into the room missing the look of surprise that flashed across the Potion Professor's impassive obsidian gaze.

* * *

><p><strong>an what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was the filler chapter 1**

**Severus: I rather liked it**

**Blaze: yup**

**Harry: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: a meeting with the dark lord, a nightmare and some other things. Please review and I will post chapter 2 as soon as I possibly can**


	2. The Headmaster's Decision

**Real quick note: what I said would happen in this chapter in the author's note of the last chapter is not likely to happen or it might but it depends on long this chapter will be.**

**Two**

**The Headmaster's Decision**

In spite of all of his misgivings at the thought of having to spend the rest of the summer with the snarky git of a Potions Professor who also happens to hate him with a passion, Harry found that the small cottage in which Snape lived was actually quite comfortable. It was definitely better than living with his aunt and his uncle before they had abandoned him and the wards around the household fell.

Harry thought that having to stay with the professor who hated him would be close to living in hell but he soon realized that Prince Cottage, as he had learned was what the cottage was called, was ten times better than Number 4 Privet Drive. The fact that Snape, even if he glowered, snapped or otherwise ignored Harry, fed him, gave him a roof over his head and was actually the one that retrieved him when the wards fell, immediately put him above his relatives.

In all honesty, Harry had expected his aunt and uncle to abandon him years ago but he supposed with recent events, his traumatic nightmares of Cedric's death that caused him to wake up screaming, the threat of Voldemort, the occasional bursts of accidental magic that Harry thought would go away now that he was at Hogwarts, merely pushed them into their decision now.

Harry often wondered if his aunt and uncle would sign a contract with Voldemort himself in order to get rid of him and he was actually glad that they decided to take the route less traveled and abandon him instead. He always knew they didn't like him as they went out of their way to make sure he understood that; neglecting to fed him, tossing him into a cupboard for the first ten years of his life, giving him an impossible list of chores to complete, hitting him occasionally whenever he did something bad, such as accidental magic, or got Dudley in trouble and generally behaving as if he was an unnatural freak who shouldn't be treated as a human being.

Harry had also been taught from a very young age that he was not supposed to speak of what occurred in the Dursley household to anyone for his aunt and uncle made him believe as though no one would take him seriously anyway. In truth, Harry often believed what his aunt and uncle told him, that he was nothing more than a freak and a burden, and so he knew better than to tell anyone. One time, he tried to tell a teacher and when the teacher confronted the Dursleys about it, his aunt and uncle lied through their teeth and then locked Harry in his cupboard for a week straight with little to no food and water. After that day, Harry rarely trusted anyone enough to let them know about how bad his home life was.

Hermione and Ron knew but that was only because Ron had seen first hand of what his aunt and uncle did, locking him in his room at the beginning of second year after the incident with Dobby and barely feeding him until Ron busted him out, and he had spoken to Hermione about it. Both of them tried to convince Harry to go to their Head of House, Professor McGonagall, but he refused for he believed that McGonagall wouldn't believe him anyway. There was also the fact that he didn't trust adults and his uncle had taught him from a young age to never talk to anyone about what he went through. So, in the end, Harry stayed silent even though he did attempt to go to Dumbledore but Dumbledore still sent him back. That act had shaken Harry's trust in the old headmaster but he figured that if he had told the headmaster the truth then there was a good chance that Dumbledore would have taken him out of there, if he believed him.

Harry was currently lying on his back in the room that was twice the size of his old room back at the Dursley household. It was well after lunchtime and he had already eaten, if very little, while Snape was busy brewing potions in the basement after lunch. Hedwig was perched beside the window with her face tucked beneath her wing, fast asleep, and Harry found himself examining the snowy owl even as his thoughts drifted.

He found himself thinking along the lines of one of the many subjects that has been in his mind since he came to Prince Cottage and that subject being Snape's hatred of him. Harry never understood why Snape hated him so much; it was as if the very instant Snape first looked at Harry, he loathed him and Harry never knew the reason. _But if he hated you then why would he retrieve you when the wards fell?_ His conscience asked him silently and Harry, frowning, rolled onto his side. _And what about in first year? If Snape hated you then would he have tried to save your life when Quirrell was hexing your broom?_

He had to admit that his conscience was right; Snape had saved his life in first year and, technically speaking, he had again by getting Harry away from the Dursley household once the wards fell. He didn't know whether or not Snape was ordered to do this or not but he didn't want to get on Snape's bad side by asking him. Snape already barely talked to him and only ever tossed glowers at him whenever they were in the same room together.

Sighing, Harry stood up before walking out of the room and down the hallway toward the kitchen. Snape had given him free reign of the house and the land around it, so long as he avoided the basement, Snape's quarters and did not go past the wards, and Harry had often explored the portions of the house the professor he disliked the most owned.

In the three days since Harry had come to the cottage, he had learned that the cottage was situated on the countryside on the outskirts of London. It was surrounded on three sides by a small forest that Snape had forbidden Harry from entering and there was a small pond in the backyard. It was a peaceful sort of place and Harry, in spite of who it was he was forced to stay with, found himself in a place of serenity that he never thought he'd experience.

Harry walked over to the refrigerator before opening it and pouring himself a glass of ice cold water before he sat down at the table in the center of the combo room. He was still sitting there, enjoying the serene atmosphere and sipping at his water, when Snape appeared from his basement. "Well I see you're making the most of this, Potter," he sneered.

Harry placed the drink on the table. "This place is nice," he said. He decided that if he and Snape were going to survive then he may as well stay on the Potions Professor's good side, if he had one that is. "It's so peaceful."

"Yes," Snape said gruffly obsidian eyes impassive. "That is precisely why my ancestors built it here."

"Oh. Well, I like it all the same, Professor Snape," Harry said politely.

Snape sneered. "It's a miracle. Potter is actually being polite to someone for a change," he said curtly.

"I can be polite when I want to be, Professor," Harry flared back.

"You sure do have a funny way of showing it, Potter," Snape snapped back.

"It's not like I wanted this anymore than you did. I would have been happy to be picked up by anyone else instead of you," Harry snapped back.

"Be that as it may, I was the only one available to pick you up. Too bad, Potter. I'm sure you'd much rather spend your time with your mangy mutt of a godfather then your snarky Potions Professor but life's not fair," Snape retorted.

Harry glowered before he rubbed his head knowing full well that these verbal battles between himself and his professor weren't getting them anywhere. He may not like Snape, and Snape may hate him, but this would be a long summer if they kept snapping at each other. Then again, Harry wasn't sure if he would be spending the entire summer with Snape anyway.

"It's too bad someone else couldn't have picked me up and I had to get stuck with Snape," Harry murmured not realizing he had said those words out loud.

"Too bad huh?" Snape sneered. "Perhaps I should have left you there, Potter."

"Maybe you should have," Harry snapped back.

"I would have had it not been for orders, Potter," Snape hissed. "And besides, you wouldn't have been able to take the Death Eaters who would have attacked had we not left when we did. Or did you think you could take on the Death Eaters? Typical Gryffindor. You think yourself invincible, you're just as arrogant as your father."

Harry growled angrily at Snape's words glaring at Snape and hoping, not for the first time, that someone else had picked him up from the Dursleys. The two of them were still glowering at each other when the floo flared to life. Snape glanced up before sweeping out of the kitchen and into the living room and Harry followed him.

The white haired head of Headmaster Dumbledore was poking out of the green flames. "Severus, may I step through?" Dumbledore asked.

"May as well. You will anyway," Snape said flatly.

Dumbledore disappeared and, a moment later, reappeared through the flames before he straightened up and dusted himself off. "Ah hello Harry, nice to see you," he greeted Harry.

"You too, Professor," Harry replied.

Dumbledore turned his gaze to Snape. "We have been unable to locate the Dursley family and the Order seems to think that the family has left London," he said. "Be that as it may, I have also spoken to many of the Order members but, with Tom's return, they are much too busy to do what I have asked of them. Sirius is still not yet cleared of charges and his place is not well protected and, in truth, no other place is protected enough for the boy."

"Er…if I might ask, what are you talking about?" Harry intervened sounding confused.

Dumbledore glanced at him. "Why, we are attempting to find someplace for your to stay for the rest of the summer," he replied.

"Oh. Can't I go with Sirius?" Harry asked.

"I'm afraid not, my boy. That, for one, would be the first place the Death Eaters will look for you once they know the wards have fallen and have reported to their master that you aren't there anymore. And no other place offers enough protection for you."

"What about the Weasleys?" Snape asked.

"Molly has too many children to take care of as well as her duties to the Order and the wards around the household are not strong enough to repel the Death Eaters."

_Order?_ Harry had heard that mentioned twice and he couldn't help but wonder what this Order was. "What Order?" he asked.

"Why, the Order of the Phoenix of course, my boy," Dumbledore replied smiling cheerfully, his blue eyes twinkling madly. "Perhaps I will explain more about the Order at a later date. Right now, we need to find someplace for you to stay that will be well protected."

"What about Remus?"

"No, I'm afraid not. His place is not protected enough for you, my boy, and his…condition will prevent him from giving you the protection you need, especially once a month. In fact, Severus," Dumbledore turned to look at the black haired Potions Professor, "there is only one candidate that I can trust to watch over Harry and protect him."

"What are…?" Harry began before it dawned on him just as Snape growled, "No, Albus!"

"But Severus…"

"I cannot and will not do it," Snape hissed. "I retrieved him from the Dursley household but I will not watch the arrogant spoiled little brat for the entire summer."

"Hey, arrogant spoiled little brat can hear you, you know," Harry snapped hating that Snape was speaking as if he wasn't there.

"Be quiet, Potter," Snape snapped at Harry glowering at him.

"Why don't I get a say in this? I don't want to stay with this…snarky git!"

"Harry, you must be respectful to your teachers," Dumbledore chided him while Snape glowered at him.

"Why should I? What's he ever done for me?"

"Oh I don't know. Saved your life when Quirrell was hexing your broom," Snape said curtly. "Or have you forgotten that, deeming yourself too arrogant and spoiled to give a damn about someone who saved your life?"

"Stop calling me spoiled and arrogant!" Harry shouted.

"Why should I bother lying?" Snape hissed.

"Both of you silence!" Dumbledore snapped his aura of magic flaring around him in anger waves and Snape and Harry fell silent. "Severus, your place is the only place that is warded enough to where Tom and his followers will be unable to find you and, even if they do, will be unable to penetrate the wards. Not to mention your duties to the Order will keep him from suspecting you of anything."

"I…"

"This is not a debate, Severus," Dumbledore said flatly. "Whether you two like it or not, you two are going to spend the rest of the summer together for Harry must be protected now that Tom has come back."

Snape glowered angrily at Dumbledore. "Fine," he said angrily.

Harry glared angrily at Snape before he muttered, "fine," as well.

"Splendid," Dumbledore said putting his hands together merrily. "Now then, I must get going for I have to speak with Auror Tonks and Moody." With that, the Headmaster of Hogwarts turned around before floo traveling away leaving Harry and Snape alone.

* * *

><p>Severus was less than pleased at the thought of having to spend the rest of his summer watching over and protecting the bloody Brat-Who-Lived. He could have spent his time doing a great many things but now he had to make sure the bloody brat didn't go get himself killed. His promise to Lily, and Dumbledore's decision, forced his hand but Severus did not like it one bit.<p>

Potter liked it even less than Severus did and was now spending all of his time in his room, most likely mopping about how he couldn't spend his summer with his mangy mutt of a godfather. Severus had his own things to worry about although he did understand the majority of Albus's decision. The fact that the dark lord did not know about Prince Cottage and could not penetrate the wards if he did and the fact that Severus was spying on the dark lord and supposedly hated the Boy-Who-Lived with a passion supported Albus's decision.

That did not mean Severus had to like it.

His life as a spy would be tested when the dark lord called his loyal Death Eaters, and Severus, to his side again and Severus was already coming up with any sort of lie to throw the dark lord off his trail. The dark lord was likely to know that the wards had fallen and the boy wasn't there by now considering that the Death Eaters had only been a couple of kilometers away when Severus had taken Potter from the household. He only hoped that no scout for the Death Eaters had seen him when he and Potter apparated away.

That was the last thing he needed.

Potter appeared from his room at that moment looking sullen but didn't bother glancing at Severus as he walked over to the kitchen most likely to get something to eat. Severus narrowed his eyes; the boy was sullen at not getting what he wanted like the spoiled brat he is but there seemed to be something off with him. He decided that he would not worry about it; his job was to _protect_ Potter, not discover everything that is wrong with him, if there was anything to begin with.

Severus walked into the kitchen and Potter glanced up before narrowing his eyes as he took a drink of the glass of water he had in his hands. Severus narrowed his eyes as he observed the boy; it was near dinnertime and yet Severus remembered how little Potter ate during lunch. Then he had assumed that Potter was just too spoiled to be thankful toward the meal and, now that it was nearing dinnertime, he figured it would be the same yet again.

He walked over to the stove before beginning to gather the ingredients together to begin making dinner. Potter watched him and, before long, dinner was made and placed on the table. Potter, Severus noted, was staring at the food as if he's never seen anything like it, or has never seen so much before. He sneered. "Are you going to eat or not, Potter?" he snapped.

"What? Oh right." Potter flushed before beginning to fill his plate and, surprising Severus just like last time, he waited until the Potions Professor started eating before he ate. Severus had noticed that odd behavior at lunch, and the fact that Potter went out of his way to get as little food as possible, and it would appear that Potter was behaving the same way during dinner.

_Typical of a spoiled brat,_ Severus thought as he ate.

Potter finished before standing up and placing his dish in the sink. When Severus finished eating and used his wand to send the empty dirty dishes to the sink, he was surprised when Potter began getting the water ready to wash them. He hadn't done that at lunch because the food Severus had served didn't require plates and yet he was actually washing the dishes.

"Potter, what are you doing?" Severus asked flatly after several minutes of watching in puzzlement. _What do you think he's doing?_ His conscience snapped at him but Severus told his conscience firmly to shut up.

"Washing the dishes, sir," Potter replied looking concentrated at his work even if one of the pans he was attempting to wash was taking him a long while to finish but he kept at it.

"Potter, that's what magic is for," Severus snapped although he was amazed at how quickly the boy was able to get the majority of the dishes done in such a short time. In truth, the only dishes he had left where the pans and Severus wondered when this happened.

Potter withdrew his hands before glancing up frowning. "But I thought I wasn't allowed to do magic. I'm not of age yet," he protested.

"Underage magic can be performed so long as there is a full grown wizard to supervise you and/or no muggles can see you," Severus explained although he had no idea why he took it upon himself to explain anything to the brat.

"Oh…well this is how I'm supposed to do them while I was with the Dursleys," Potter said turning his gaze back to the dishes.

Severus was briefly startled at that. _So the Dursleys did have you do chores?_ he thought silently observing the boy. _Then why do you continue to act like a spoiled brat?_

"Potter, just leave them be," Severus said finally when it was clear that Potter wouldn't be able to get the stain out of one of the pans no matter how hard he scrubbed it.

Potter glanced at him. "What?"

"Are you hard of hearing, Potter? Or does everything I say go in one ear and out the other?" Severus sneered angrily.

Potter's eyes flashed with anger. "I heard you just fine, professor," he snapped. "There's no need to get insulting."

"I was not being insulting, Potter. You would know if I was truly being insulting."

Potter scowled at Severus but otherwise did what he was told and stopped washing the dishes.

"How were you able to finish so many of those in such a short time, Potter?" Severus asked despite himself.

"How else? Aunt Petunia had me do all the dishes while I was there, not to mention other chores. Not so much of a spoiled brat now, am I?" Potter sneered.

"Watch your cheek, Potter," Severus snapped angrily.

"I wasn't being cheeky," Potter snapped.

The two of them were glaring at each other again and Severus could almost feel a headache coming on. In spite of the wards around the cottage, Severus was pretty sure that Albus had made a mistake in putting the two of them together. He rubbed his head before glowering at Harry who merely glowered back at him.

"This is not working out," Severus said. "The headmaster was wrong to place us together."

"You think?" Potter said sarcastically.

"Will you shut up and listen for once in your life?"

"I do so listen when I have to."

"But do you retain anything that you hear? I thought not."

"I didn't even have a chance to answer that question!"

"Don't take that tone with me, Potter."

"You're the one that started it. You asked me a question and then you didn't even give me any bloody time to answer it. And for your information, I do retain what I hear."

"You have a funny way of showing it, Potter. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…"

"I did not rudely interrupt you! You had already finished talking when I spoke up."

Severus scowled angrily. "And you call this _not_ rudely interrupting me?"

"I wasn't talking about this time!"

"Will you just shut up and listen?"

Potter glared sullenly at him but otherwise stayed silent.

"Anyway," Severus went on, "this is not going to work out if we keep going at each other's throats like this. Sooner or later, one of us is going to end up killing the other."

"You're the one that started it."

"Will you shut up? I'm proposing a truce, Potter," Severus snapped. "At the very least, it will allow us to make it through the summer without killing each other."

"What sort of truce?" Potter asked suspiciously.

"To say the least, we will do what we can to try to stop arguing constantly and attempt to live together on neutral ground."

Potter narrowed his eyes although Severus was sure the boy was thinking about what he had said about the truce. "Why would you be offering this to me, professor? You hate me."

Severus was briefly surprised at that. "I do not hate you, Potter," he said flatly. "And as I said before, we'd end up killing each other if we didn't come up with some sort of truce."

Potter looked surprised. "You _don't_ hate me?"

"I may not like you, Potter, but that does not mean I hate you."

Potter was silent for a long moment. "I think a truce might be best," he said finally. "So truce?"

"I suppose," Severus said flatly. "Truce."

There was absolutely no telling how long that truce was going to last however.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: well Harry and Severus have a truce**

**Severus: (sneers) I give it a day tops**

**Sirius: (snorts) I give it an hour**

**Harry: (sighs) I give it two days**

**Darth: let's hope they don't hex each other before this is over.**

**Blaze: (chuckles mysteriously) I hope I have kept Severus and Harry in character but if I haven't then I'm sorry and once again, this story IS SET IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. Oh and if the reviewers would like to propose their own guesses as to how long this truce between Snape and Harry will last then you are free to post your guesses in your reviews.**

**Darth: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: Harry will see what Severus has to go through and discover Severus's position within the Order of the Phoenix as well as some letters from some friends. Please review and I will post chapter three as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon**


	3. Of Visions and Letters

_Italics = _vision

(_italics_) = Harry's thoughts during vision

p.s. thank you to the eight people who reviewed the last chapter and the eleven people who reviewed the first.

**Three**

**Of Visions and Letters**

"What did Dumbledore mean when he said your duties to the Order will help keep Voldemort's suspicion off of you?" Harry couldn't help but ask the following day at dinnertime as he remembered the words spoken by the headmaster. So far, the truce between Harry and Snape had as of yet to be broken even though more than once, they had nearly got into another argument but both of them managed to stop themselves from hexing each other. Harry, in all honesty, was surprised that the truce actually lasted for a day.

Snape scowled at Harry. "That's none of your business," he snapped.

"Why not? It has something to do with me, doesn't it? And what is the Order of the Phoenix anyway? Dumbledore…"

"_Professor _Dumbledore, Potter."

"…said that he would tell me about it but he hasn't had the chance."

"It's been a day, Potter."

"Whatever and fine then, don't answer my question," Harry said curtly glaring at the Potions Professor who sat across from him at the table.

Snape merely glared back at him before he suddenly hissed in pain and Harry, wide eyed with surprise, watched as Snape grabbed his left forearm, his eyes blazing with pain. "What's going on?" Harry gasped. He's never seen his professor in so much pain before.

"Just go to your room, Potter," Snape hissed as he stood up and rushed toward his own room.

""But why? What's happening? Bloody hell, I hate being left in the dark," Harry exclaimed rushing after the Potions Professor.

"I don't have time to explain anything to you, Potter," Snape snapped. "The dark lord is calling me."

"Y…You're a Death Eater?" Harry was shocked by the sudden truth revealed to him.

"A spy."

Harry frowned. "What?"

"I'm not a Death Eater, I'm a spy for the Order all right," Snape said finally and a tad reluctantly, Harry noticed. "I see no point in hiding the truth from you, especially if you are going to be staying here for the entire summer and will most likely be witnessing these callings."

Harry was so confused and he had to quickly move out of the way as Snape, dressed in his Death Eater attire, complete with the hooded cloak and silver mask, rushed out of the room. "Professor…" he began.

"I don't have time, Potter," Snape snapped before he picked up the floo powder, tossed it into the fireplace and called, "Malfoy Manor," before stepping into the green flames and disappearing leaving Harry in stunned silence.

_He's a spy? A spy?_ Harry thought as he walked into his room. It had come to a shock to him to learn that his Potions Professor, the man who, though he disliked him, saved him, was a supporter of Voldemort and what was even more shocking was that he was a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, whatever that was.

Harry knew that Snape had only told him because he was right; Harry was staying with him and would likely see him, in his Death Easter attire, often whenever Voldemort called. _But he's a spy?_ Harry thought as he lied down and rested his head on his pillow. _Bloody hell, I did not expect that._

Sighing, Harry placed his glasses on the side table, rolled onto his side and, to his surprise, fell asleep soon after he closed his eyes.

_The nightmare began almost as soon as he closed his eyes and Harry was surprised to find himself in the entrance hall of a gloomy manor. He watched as Death Eaters walked into the manor via front door or the floo before they all knelt in front of him. Harry noticed that there weren't that many Death Eaters and he somehow knew that was because the others were still in Azkaban._

"_I want a report on your current assignments," Harry hissed and that's when his subconscious self realized that he wasn't in his own body anymore. He recognized that voice, he was seeing through the eyes and hearing the words of Voldemort._

(_Bloody hell, I'm in Voldemort's mind in this dream! I _hope_ this is nothing more than a horrible dream._)

_A Death Eater moved forward before falling onto his hands and knees before the dark lord. "My lord, the Ministry of Magic is still oblivious to your return," the Death Eater said. "Minister Fudge was easy to convince that everything the Potter brat revealed after the Triwizard Tournament were nothing but a bunch of lies."_

"_Very good, Lucius. That shall give me time to organize my plans and gather more of my followers," Voldemort hissed. "And what of your other mission?"_

"_I could not get close enough to the prison to issue the breakout, my lord. I needed more Death Eaters with me," Malfoy replied._

"_Excuses, Lucius, you had plenty of help. Crucio!"_

_Malfoy collapsed on the ground as the Cruciatus Curse slammed into his body and Harry watched as he writhed in pain._

(_Bloody hell! He uses the torture curse on Malfoy just because Malfoy wasn't able to complete his mission? He really is a monster but then, that goes without saying, especially after what he did, or rather Pettigrew did, to Cedric._)

"_Severus!" Voldemort called once he stopped the curse and Lucius, who then moved back to join the ranks of Death Eaters and another Death Eater immediately moved forward before bowing in much the same way as Lucius._

(_Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Severus Snape was actually on his hands and knees before anyone._)

"_Dumbledore must have known that the wards around the Potter brat's household have fallen and so he must also know of the location of Potter. Do you have any news regarding Potter's current location?" Voldemort demanded moving on to other subjects he, apparently, needed to cover._

"_I am afraid not, my lord," Snape replied impassively. "Dumbledore has as of yet to inform me although I do know that he ordered someone to the household to pick the Potter brat up but they went someplace unknown."_

(_He's lying to the dark lord?_)

_Voldemort snarled in fury. "You have Dumbledore's ear, Severus," he said angrily. "And yet you do not know the location of a single boy?"_

"_He was moved only recently, my lord," Snape replied._

"_It appears that your position is not as secure as you had thought, Severus," Voldemort hissed. "For you once had Dumbledore's trust and now he does not trust you enough to tell you where the boy is? I am disappointed in you, Severus. Crucio!"_

_The Cruciatus Curse slammed into Snape and sent him to the ground where he writhed in pain but didn't once utter a single scream. Voldemort held the curse on for several minutes before he finally withdrew his wand and Snape was left lying on the ground._

(_This is what Snape has to go through in order to be a spy? But this is just a dream…isn't it? Now I'm not even sure._)

"_Solidify your position with Dumbledore, Severus," Voldemort hissed as Snape, weakly, got back into his former position. "Do whatever you must to regain Dumbledore's trust and find out where the Potter brat is being held. Am I clear?"_

"_Yes my lord," Snape replied._

"_Good." Voldemort glanced at his other Death Eaters as Snape staggered back to join the ranks of Death Eaters. "Now then, all of you, aside from Severus, will accompany Lucius to Azkaban since, apparently, he needs all of you to accomplish the breakout. Severus, you know your orders!"_

_The Death Eaters bowed in response and the nightmare shattered._

* * *

><p>"Professor?"<p>

Severus glanced up where he was sitting in the living room to find Potter walking into the living room looking tired as if he hadn't slept the night before. "What Potter?" he demanded his eyes as impassive as ever while thinking about the meeting from the day before. He hadn't had a chance to contact Albus and tell him of Voldemort's orders and hint at the planned breakout. If the Order knew of the breakout and attempted to stop it then it was likely that Severus's position would be compromised. He had been a spy for so long that he knew instinctively what to do whenever he obtained information for the light. Not to mention, he was still recovering from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse.

Potter yawned. "Is there anything to eat?" he asked.

"There's a fridge in the kitchen, Potter, or do you expect me to wait on you?" Severus sneered.

Potter narrowed his eyes. "I'm half asleep, Professor," he snapped back.

"And who's fault is that? What did you do? Stay up all night writing to your friends?" Severus had given Potter permission to write his friends the day before first thing in the morning although he made the boy promise not to tell anyone of where he was nor put a return address on it. He also cautioned Potter's owl, Hedwig, to avoid flying directly to the house from Prince Cottage so that the letter could not be tracked back to the cottage should it be intercepted. That also went hand in hand with the spell Severus placed upon the parchments that Potter used to write his letters, which will prevent anyone from casting a spell to determine the origin of the letter. Severus could not afford to break his cover, not until Voldemort was defeated forever and so he could not let it slip that he was harboring the Boy-Who-Lived.

"No, I went to bed early," Potter said angrily. "But it's eight in the morning. Who the bloody hell would wake up this early?"

"Watch your language, Potter," Severus snapped. "And in answer to your question, you."

Potter scowled. "We have a truce, Professor," he snapped back. "And yet you're going out of your way to break it."

Severus sneered. "I was merely answering your question, Potter," he said smoothly.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Potter muttered before he quickly made his escape as if to stop himself from igniting an argument and being the one to break the truce.

Severus was still convinced that the truce would not last longer than a week even if it has lasted for two days.

Severus decided that now would be the perfect time to contact Albus and let him know of the meeting that happened the day before. He got to his feet before walking to his floo and placing a quick floo call to the headmaster's office. He was in luck and the headmaster was in his office.

Albus glanced up from behind his desk. "Hello Severus, what brings you here?"

"I have to speak with you. May I step over?"

"Of course, my boy," said the headmaster.

Severus pulled back before glancing into the kitchen as Potter walked out of the kitchen with a sandwich in his hands. "I will be back later, Potter," he said flatly before he stepped into the fireplace and floo traveled to the headmaster's office.

He stepped out of the floo calmly before dusting himself off and walking over to stand in front of Albus's desk.

"Take a seat, Severus," Albus said and Severus inclined his head briefly in response before taking a seat sitting straight and calmly. "Now what brings you here?"

"The dark lord," Severus said. "He thinks that you do not trust me anymore and he wants to know where Potter is. He is also extremely disappointed in Lucius for not fulfilling a mission because Lucius claims he needs more allies to complete his other assignment." He decided that may be enough to hint at the breakout that may or may not occur at Azkaban soon.

Albus nodded. "When the dark lord calls again then you can inform him that I have taken temporary custody of the boy until I can find a suitable guardian," he said. "It will divert his suspicions for the time being and also prevent him from looking for the boy."

Severus knew that the headmaster was much too busy to actually look after the boy but letting the dark lord believe that Albus was taking time out of his busy schedule to watch the bloody brat would provide them with the time they need to divert the dark lord's suspicions until school begins.

"Very well headmaster," Severus said. "I'd best be getting back though."

"Worried about Harry, my boy?"

Severus sneered. "I'm more worried that the brat will blow up my home than I am about him," he said curtly before he floo traveled back to his cottage.

* * *

><p>Harry sat on his bed in his room thinking about his nightmare he had of Snape two days earlier, the dark lord and the other Death Eaters. He had pushed it off as a regular bad dream but when he woke up soon after he had fallen asleep and, soon after the nightmare had ended, he had discovered that the nightmare hadn't been just a dream. <em>And that is what Snape has to deal with every time he goes to Voldemort. <em>Learning of that made Harry see the professor in another light and he found that he couldn't hate a professor who risks his life to spy on the dark lord Voldemort.

That did not mean Harry had to stop disliking him.

Harry sighed before glancing up when an owl flew through the window and dropped off two letters. Harry had written the letters once Snape had given him permission to write them. He picked up the letters before he found out the first letter was from Hermione while the second was from Ron. He decided he would read Ron's first.

He thanked the owl and gave him an owl treat before he opened up Ron's letter and began reading it.

_Harry,_

_How's your summer been, mate? I haven't heard from you since school ended and my mum seems to know something but she's not talking to me about it. Are you all right? And you finally got away from your relatives? Thank Merlin for that. I still can't forget what happened at the beginning of second year. Those blimey idiots. I hope that they never come back and you get better guardians mate._

_Anyway, who are you staying with now? I'm sure that anywhere is better than staying with your bloody relatives. Maybe mum will be able to get Dumbledore to agree to letting you stay with us until you graduate. I hope that she can do that or, at least, tell me where you are staying but she's keeping it all hush, hush although I'm absolutely positive that she knows where you are._

_I just wish that she would tell us. The good thing is that at least you can write wherever it is that you are._

_Gred and Forge say hi by the way and so does Ginny._

_I hope that you have a good summer wherever you are mate._

_Write back soon._

_Ron_

Harry smiled faintly before he narrowed his eyes. Snape had forbidden him from telling any of his friends of where he was just in case the letters were intercepted so Harry had no idea as to what to tell them. In spite of not liking Snape, Harry didn't want to condemn anyone to death as would probably happen if Snape was found out as a spy.

He picked up a quill before he composed a brief letter in reply and then he picked up Hermione's letter and opened it before reading it.

_Harry,_

_How's your summer been? Mine's been great. I'm also happy that you finally got away from your dreadful relatives. Where are you staying now? Oh I do hope that your guardians are better than your relatives but then anyone is better than you relatives._

_I suppose you can't tell us for some important reasons, maybe cause You-Know-Who's back and no one wants him to figure out where you are._

_Oh and have you started on your homework yet? I already finished mine._

_Write back soon._

_Hermione_

Harry shook his head with a faint smile. _Typical Hermione,_ he thought as he wrote a brief letter in reply before he seal both spelled pieces of parchment and handed them to Hedwig. "Would you mind taking these to Ron and Hermione?" he asked.

Hedwig chirped an affirmative before she grabbed the letters and flew out of the window. Harry watched her go before, when his stomach growled, he got to his feet and walked out of his room.

Snape was no where to be seen so Harry figured that he was in the basement and that suited Harry fine. The uneasy truce between the two of them had nearly been broken several times in the past four days and Harry was still sure that Snape was going out of his way to break the truce.

Sighing, Harry sat down at the table after making a sandwich to eat just as another owl flew into the house before hooting and gazing around. Harry glanced up at the tawny owl as the owl landed on the table with a letter clasped in his talons. "Are you looking for Snape?" he asked the owl who hooted once in response. "Don't worry, I'll give it to him." He started to reach for the letter but was suddenly drew his hand back quickly when the owl nipped his finger and hooted angrily.

Snape walked into the kitchen at that moment as Harry rubbed his finger glad that the damn owl hadn't broken skin. Without bothering on talking to Harry, he picked up the letter before sitting down at the table and opening it up.

"Who's it from?" Harry asked unable to hide his curiosity.

Snape sneered without lifting his obsidian gaze from the parchment in his hands. "That is none of your business," he said flatly without looking up.

Harry sighed before standing up after he finished his food. Without bothering on telling the Potions Professor that he was leaving, Harry went back into his bedroom. He figured that, while he had the chance, he may as well try to finish his summer homework.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Uncle Severus,<em>

_I don't know who to talk to, uncle. The dark lord is back and my father wants me to start following him but I honestly don't want to. I've seen what the dark lord and his followers do, my father made me watch a meeting at one time when the dark lord first returned. I don't agree with my father's words and I don't want to join the dark lord. Sure, I don't like muggleborns or muggles but that doesn't mean I actually want them to die or get tortured, I'm not _that _cold hearted._

_I couldn't trust anyone else with this, uncle. Even my mother agrees with my father on what the dark lord does and that's really surprising. I always thought my mother was a good woman who was kind at heart but she actually _supports_ the dark lord. So I came to you. I don't know if you can do anything to convince my father to _not_ force me to follow the dark lord but I just had to at least tell someone._

_I don't know what to do, uncle, so I'm asking you for advice. Father isn't home and mother says that he won't be home for several days so I decided to borrow Storm and send a letter to you. I doubt father would object to my talking to you but I didn't want him to read the letter. He'll probably get mad because I won't follow in his footsteps._

_Will you please give me some advice on what to do?_

_Draco_

Severus placed the piece of parchment on the table before rubbing his head as he thought about the letter his godson had sent him. While it has always been obvious that Draco never cared for Lucius's way of life, even if he acted like his father in terms of his sense of superiority above the muggleborns and Potter, Severus hadn't expected his godson to turn around and inform him that he had no desire to follow his father. Draco knew that Severus was a Death Eater, it was sort of hard to miss whenever Lucius made his son watch the meetings, and that made Severus wonder why Draco trusted him enough to tell him that he didn't want to follow the dark lord.

_He did say he only told me because he trusted me, _Severus thought as he continued to examine the letter.

He _accio_ed a parchment and quill before he began to write a reply to his godson's letter.

_Draco,_

_I cannot tell you what to do nor what not to do nor can I tell you to disobey your father for he is your father. I understand that you cannot stand what the dark lord is doing but there is little I can do to help you. Not everyone can comprehend the dark lord's ideals and you are only fifteen years old so you should not push yourself to decide what to do yet._

_I am glad that you consider me trustworthy enough to actually speak to me on this matter but I cannot tell you how to feel or how to think. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but I suggest that you keep your opinions to yourself. That is my advice to you for not everyone agrees with what the dark lord does but it would not be a good idea for the dark lord to discover this._

Severus paused in his writing before he reread the letter and, once he was sure he did not give away his true allegiances in his writing just in case Lucius or, worse, the dark lord found it. He thought about what else to put before he went on in his letter.

_If you need to speak to anyone then you can always contact me. I'll keep whatever you say confidential although I really do not like lying to your father or the dark lord. But you are my godson and so you are more important than my loyalty to the dark lord. Remember that, Draco._

_Uncle Severus_

Severus finished writing before folding and sealing the letter and handing it to the tawny owl who hooted before spreading his wings and flying through the window and away. Severus watched the owl go before standing up and walking toward the staircase to check on his potion. As he finished brewing, he found himself thinking about his godson's letter and his godson's obvious dislike of being on the verge of being forced to follow the dark lord and take the dark mark.

Severus still remembered the day he had taken the dark mark; the cruel look in the dark lord's eyes as he beheld his newest Death Eater, the fiery pain as the mark was branded into his arm, it all seemed to come back to him. The day he had made one of the worst mistakes of his life, although not as bad as calling his love a 'mudblood', continued to haunt his mind. Even though Severus had received forgiveness for calling Lily a 'mudblood, it still hurt him very badly when Lily married his arch-nemesis, James bloody Potter.

And the boy that was Lily's son bore an unkindly resemblance to his idiotic father, the man who ha made Severus's life at Hogwarts a living nightmare.

_But he's also Lily's son,_ his conscience reminded him and Severus scowled before pushing the thought to the back of his mind ash e finished brewing. Once he finished brewing the potion, he bottled it before adding it to the vials he had on the shelf within his private potions lab. As he made his way out of the basement, Severus continued to think about Draco's letter.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: in the next chapter, we will go to another main character's point of view as he thinks about his godfather's letter and his options, we will take a look at the breakout of Azkaban through Bella's POV and Severus will hear a clue that hints at the life Harry led with the Dursleys and become suspicious.**

**Darth: are you…?**

**Blaze: probably oh and this is AU by the way**

**Lucius: (pops up out of nowhere)**

**Blaze: you're not nice in this story**

**Lucius: (runs away)**

**Nagini: (pops up out of nowhere)**

**Blaze: (pulls out lightsaber and a chainsaw dipped in basilisk venom) You killed Severus. Now I'm going to kill you and that old no nose master of yours.**

**Nagini: (quickly slithers away)**

**Voldy: (pops up in front of Nagini)**

**Nagini: get out of the way, massster, Blaze wantsss to kill usss**

**Voldy: why?**

**Blaze: YOU BOTH KILLED SEVERUS! (Powers on chainsaw and ignites lightsaber)**

**Voldy and Nagini: (quickly run away)**

**Blaze: (chases them)**

**Severus: (snorts) here we go again**

**Darth: again?**

**Severus: this is the fifth time that Blaze has chased Voldy and Nagini for killing me in canon just today**

**Darth: whoa, fifth?**

**Severus: yes. Please review and Blaze will post chapter 4 as soon as she possibly can but she doubts it'll be anytime soon**


	4. Discovery of a Veiled Past

**Four**

**Discovery of a Veiled Past**

Sitting in the comforts of his room with his godfather's letter, the one he received two days ago, in his hands, Draco Malfoy thought about what Uncle Severus had told him. He always knew that his godfather was a follower of the dark lord but it seemed that he was at least trying to help Draco come to his own decisions regarding whether he should follower the dark lord or not. Draco did not agree with much of what the dark lord does even if he did think that purebloods shouldn't have to deal with muggleborns and muggles. The dark lord was prejudice toward anyone who was not pureblood and Draco wondered at that. It seemed that the dark lord was a bit hypocritical because one of his most trusted and top supporters, Draco's godfather, was half-blood.

It was that hypocritical nature of the dark lord along with the horrible crimes that the dark lord committed and are committing that made Draco not wish to become like his father. He wasn't cold blooded, ruthless and he was absolutely sure that he was not a murderer. The crimes that the dark lord has committed made Draco sick sometimes and, even though Draco disliked the Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter, he felt sorry for the boy whose parents were killed by the dark lord.

Sighing, Draco rolled over onto his stomach on his bed as he continued to reread his godfather's letter. _At least he did give me some sound advice,_ he thought knowing full well that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to mention how he did not want to follow the dark lord to his father, the dark lord or anyone of his other followers.

Sighing, Draco folded the letter before placing it on his side table as a knock sounded on his door. "Come in," he called rolling onto his back before sitting up as the door opened and his mother, Narcissa Black Malfoy, walked into the room.

"You look bored, son," Narcissa commented sitting down beside Draco on the bed. "I'm sure you can go over to Gregory or Vince's house for a weekend."

"No it's all right mother," said Draco softly. "I don't mind just staying here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure."

Narcissa didn't look convinced but she merely nodded once in reply as she stood up. "Your father will be home soon but he's taking care of something for the dark lord," she said. Although, technically speaking, his mother was not a Death Eater, she still referred to Voldemort as the dark lord.

Draco nodded. "I still have to work on my summer assignments," he said. "I already finished Potions but I still have to work on a Transfigurations essay."

"All right then, Draco, I'll leave you to it," Narcissa said standing up before making her way out of the room.

Draco watched her go before he picked up his wand and summoned his assignment for Transfigurations. He lied down on his stomach on the bed as he picked up a quill and flipped through the pages of his textbook until he found the appropriate one. As he started to work on the assignment, Draco began to think about his godfather, his father, the dark lord and everyone else that he had to deal with.

The fact that he was living at the place that the dark lord had named as his headquarters made matters worse.

Draco sighed as he placed the quill on the paper and sighed as he leaned back. He really couldn't concentrate on his assignment with everything on his mind. The fact that the dark lord was only just downstairs made it nearly impossible to concentrate on his assignment. Draco sighed; he really wished that his godfather could give him some more advice because he really didn't know what to do at the moment.

* * *

><p>The cell was a dank, cold place and Bellatrix Black LeStrange found herself wishing, hoping that her lord would come and get her already. She, like every other Death Eater, had felt the dark lord's return and she was happy beyond belief. She knew it would only be a matter of time before her lord got her out of this stinking hole of a place.<p>

The dementors made it colder and could have driven anyone else into insanity but Bellatrix was not like anyone. She was one of the dark lord's most trusted supporters and she was better than everyone, especially her good for nothing cousin Sirius who escaped Azkaban when she could not.

_When I find Sirius Black, I'll make him wish he never turned his back on our family,_ Bellatrix thought with an insane cackle just as an explosion sounded and a hole in the stone wall suddenly appeared in front of her. Moving forward, Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the sudden glare of the sun and let out another insane laugh when she realized that, just as she expected, the dark lord and his Death Eaters were true to their word.

She was finally free.

Bellatrix could see the other Death Eaters who got out of a life sentence in Azkaban were freeing the others nearby and the dementors were allowing the Death Eaters beyond the wards without pausing on stopping them. Bellatrix could see that many of the guards and wardens were dead, killed by the first attack of the Death Eaters.

Lucius appeared in the cell beside Bellatix and she curled her lip into a sneer. "Look at the bloody idiot who was not proud of our lord's accomplishments," she spat.

Lucius's lips also curled into a sneer. "How else would I have been able to get this much influence? I have been using my freedom to its' advantages. I know everything that the Minister of Magic knows and I practically have him eating out of the palm of my hand," he spat back. "Now come, our lord is waiting for us."

Bellatrix let out another cackle of glee at the blonde wizard's words as she hurried out of the dank and cold cell past the rubble to Lucius's side. The two of them joined the other Death Eaters and left the Azkaban prison.

It only took them an hour to get to Malfoy Manor where the dark lord was waiting and, sure enough, Voldemort was waiting in the conference room of the manor. Bellatrix immediately hurried to Voldemort's side before bowing onto her hands and knees. "Oh my lord, you are back, my lord," she said gleefully practically salivating at the dark lord's feet.

Voldemort sneered sinisterly as he gazed at the newly freed Death Eaters. Lucius, Bellatrix and the recently freed Death Eaters were the only ones currently not in the usual Death Eater attire but that was quickly corrected by spells from the others. Bellatrix was still kneeling at the dark lord's feet and gazing up into those beautiful snake eyes.

"Call the rest of my supporters at once," Voldemort demanded. "I want everyone here this instant, including the werewolves."

"Yes my lord," Lucius said before he stood up and used the dark mark to call the other Death Eaters to the dark lord's side. Bellatrix, at Voldemort's insistence, got to her feet but was practically hanging on the dark lord even though she kept herself from actually touching the magnificent dark lord that she loved.

Gradually, more Death Eaters came into the conference room; some apparated directly to the wards and then entered the manor from the outside while others floo traveled from their current location to the manor. Bellatrix could recognize quite a few of them, in spite of the silver mask that they wore to conceal their faces. She saw Severus, Goyle, Crabbe, the Carrow twins, the werewolf Fenrir Greyback and several others.

She and the rest of the Death Eaters immediately kneeled before the dark lord as he smirked sinisterly at them. "Things are getting better with each passing day," he hissed. "I have all my supporters free and at my side and the Ministry is still oblivious to my return. This is true, Lucius, is it not?"

"Yes my lord," said Lucius. "Minister Fudge refuses to believe that old wizard Dumbledore's words anymore than he believes the word of the brat who lived."

"Good. Speaking of the brat who lived, Severus, is there any word on the brat's location?"

"Dumbledore has informed me that he has taken the boy into his custody and will be his guardian until either his relatives can be found or he finds a more permanent guardian," Severus replied.

Voldemort snarled in fury. "Dumbledore most not be taking chances with the brat," he hissed. "Anything else you have to report, Severus?"

"Yes, my lord. Sirius Black is in the process of being cleared of all charges laid against him by the Wizengamot for Dumbledore is pushing for a trial," Severus said.

"Why that bloody little traitor," Bellatrix sneered at the mention of her cousin.

"Is that all?" Voldemort asked; he did not reprimand Bellatrix for speaking out of turn because he knew of how much Bellatrix hated her cousin.

"Yes my lord."

"Very well. We will begin to accelerate our plans," said Voldemort. "Today we shall go teach those bloody muggles in Northern London a lesson. Everyone shall participate in the raid."

The Death Eaters did not protest and Bellatrix merely responded with an insane laugh of glee.

"Then let us get going," Voldemort sneered with a sinister laugh.

* * *

><p>Severus was exhausted and in agony coming home from the raid on muggle London and he had to admit that he was glad he still had it in him to keep his cover and yet not participate many of the atrocious acts. He did not have a thing against muggles or muggleborns for his beloved Lily was muggleborn after all and so he went out of his way to participate in the raid and yet not at the same time.<p>

Severus hated what the Death Eaters did to those poor muggles; the rapes, the murders, the torture, the mutiliations, it was extremely cruel and unusual. Severus only participated in these raids because he could not, and would not, reveal his true allegiances to the dark lord. The thing was, Severus was always able to help the muggles as best he could without revealing his allegiance by blaming anything that happened on an underling.

However, he was able to let it slip to Albus just before he went on the raid that there was going to be a raid in muggle London and Voldemort was not too happy. He tortured all of his Death Eaters and even killed one of the underlings who was trembling and showing his fear, which immediately labeled him guilty of letting it slip of what they were going to do. In truth, Voldemort thought word had gotten to the Order an hour _after_ the Order really got wind of what they were doing. Naturally, however, he took his anger out on everyone and, now, Severus was in agony of the Cruciatus Curse that had hit him and his supposed allies.

Sinking into a chair in the living room of Prince Cottage, Severus summoned the pain relieving potion and drank it, unaware that someone was watching him for a bit. He wasn't a spy for nothing and Severus quickly realized that someone was watching him.

And there was currently only one person in the cottage.

"Potter!" Severus growled angrily turning his head to glower at Potter who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen watching him. "Don't you know it's rude to watch someone? Then again, you probably don't even care."

"We have a truce, Snape," Potter snapped although it was clear there was no anger or irritation behind those words. If Severus's eyes weren't deceiving him then he was absolutely sure that there was genuine concern in Potter's eyes

"It's _Professor_ Snape to you, Potter," Severus snapped back irritably. He was always irritable when he was in pain and the pain reliever was taking a while to work because of how long the dark lord had kept the Cruciatus Curse upon the Death Eaters after the Order stopped the raid.

Potter's eyes flashed briefly. "Are you all right, Professor?" he asked startling Severus even more.

That sounded more like something Lily would ask then James.

"I have been better, Potter," Severus said finally when it was clear that Potter would not leave until he received an answer.

"Oh." Potter was silent for a long moment before he yawned.

"Go to bed, Potter. You look asleep on your feet. We wouldn't want Dumbledore's Golden Boy collapsing with exhaustion, now would we?" Severus sneered.

Potter glowered at him before he turned around and walked away most likely before he said something that would break the truce and get them into another heated argument that could end with them hexing each other. Severus watched him go before he relaxed and allowed the pain reliever to get to work.

That night, Severus was jolted out of his sleep by a shrill scream coming from the direction of Potter's room. Severus, scowling in anger at Potter's audacity, got to his feet before stalking over to the room. He entered the room and spotted Potter tossing and turning on his bed while Hedwig, his owl, chirped in concern where she was perched on his headboard attempting to wake up.

Severus walked over to Potter's bedside as the boy tossed and turned in his sleep as he slipped his wand, which he hadn't realized he had pulled out, back into the holster on his arm. "Potter, wake up," Severus growled grabbing the boy's shoulders to attempt to shake him awake.

"Don't hit me please," Potter moaned as he continued to toss and turn and Severus stiffened in surprise.

_Did he just say what I think he said?_ Severus thought.

Potter tossed and turned and seemed to be struggling with whatever inner demon was plaguing his mind. "Please, Uncle Vernon, I won't do it again. Please don't…please don't put me in the cupboard. Please."

Severus started in surprise at that. _Cupboard? What the bloody hell is he talking about?_ He recognized the tone behind the pleas that Potter was making in his sleep, he remembered all too well making those same pleas during his childhood where only his mother could help him after a particularly bad day with his father.

_Is it possible Potter has been abused?_

Severus considered it ludicrous but the cries and pleas that Potter was still uttering in his sleep said a completely different story.

_How had I not noticed it before?_

Severus was always able to see abuse in children before, in all four houses, because of what he suffered during his childhood and he absolutely detested child abuse. It was the one thing that made him want to grit his teeth and, actually, murder someone, most likely the child abuser.

_Who did this? It seems likely that it was the relatives, his aunt and uncle Albus said. Well that would make sense. Petunia was not known to be kind, even when I knew her, and she hated magic and her sister when Lily got into Hogwarts and she didn't. Is it possible that this hatred was passed from Lily to her son?_

Severus knew why he hadn't seen the abuse before; it was because he had been blinded by his hatred of James that he completely forgot that Potter was also his beloved Lily's son.

"Potter, wake up," Severus tried again although he avoided touching Potter again because of how Potter had reacted the last time he had tried that.

Hedwig was hooting and chirping in alarm as she gazed at the boy who was still tossing and turning and unable to escape the nightmare.

"Potter, Harry, wake up!" Severus all but yell not realizing he had called Potter by his name until a moment later although it did have the desire effect.

Potter's emerald eyes shot open and for a long moment he was completely unaware of where he was until his eyes gradually came back into focus. As much in focus as it could get that is without his glasses, which were on his side table.

"Professor?" Potter mumbled rubbing his eyes before reaching for his glasses and putting them on. Severus noticed that the glasses looked as though they weren't very good and were taped together as if they had broken apart before.

"You woke up screaming," Severus stated bluntly.

Potter flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for waking you," he murmured.

"What were you dreaming about?" Severus asked eyes narrowed.

"It was…it was nothing. I'm sorry for waking you," Potter repeated as he sat up before gazing around.

"Potter, I heard what you said while you were screaming," Severus said deciding he would find out what was going on with Potter if it was the last thing he did. He will never tolerate child abuse even if it was Potter and if Potter really is being abused then he will do what he can to stop it. He may dislike Potter but he was not cold hearted enough to let the son of his childhood love and best friend be abused.

Potter stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about," he protested.

"Potter, you do know what I am talking about. What were you dreaming about?" Severus has always had very little patience and that patience was beginning to run a bit thin. He was tired and Potter was being stubborn.

_Then again, remember your own childhood,_ his conscience murmured to him and Severus frowned before he thought about. He realized that his conscience was right; his father always drilled into him that he could not speak of what he suffered at the hands of his father to anyone.

_Was that what happened to Potter?_ Severus thought curiously.

Potter glared at him. "Why do you care?" he snapped back angrily.

"Potter, at the moment I am responsible for you," Severus snapped back. "And I know for a fact that this is not the first time this has happened." Severus was bluffing here because, in truth, this was the first time that Severus had heard Potter's screaming but he wanted to see if Potter would call his bluff.

Fortunately, he didn't. Instead he stiffened in fear. "But I put up a silencing charm. How did you know about those other nightmares?"

Severus smirked. "I didn't, until now," he said.

Potter's eyes went wide and then narrowed in anger. "You tricked me," he exclaimed.

"No I merely put my Slytherin traits to good use. These nightmares must have been going on for quite a while. Why?"

Potter shrugged.

"That is not an answer, Potter." Severus's patience was beginning to were even thinner than before.

Potter glared at him. "Will you stop interrogating me, you bloody git? It was nothing," he shouted at him.

"Watch your tone, Potter, and your language," Severus growled just as angrily. "It was not nothing and your constant nightmares are proof of that."

"Will you just leave me the bloody hell alone?" Potter screamed angrily at Severus. "It was nothing so why don't you just shut the bloody hell up and leave me be?"

Severus's eyes went cold and as hard as agates to where he had to stand up and pace just to rid himself of the sudden urge to throttle the boy. Potter seemed to have realized exactly what he had said for, when Severus glanced back at him, he was curled up and his eyes were wide with shock.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm sorry," he cried. "I didn't…I…Please don't hit me."

Severus was unsure of why those four words affected him so much. But he found himself suddenly attempting to assure the boy. "I will not hit you, Potter. I would never raise my hand to a child," he said. "Why did you think I would hit you?"

"Because I talked back to you, sir, and Uncle Vernon…" Potter didn't complete his statement and his eyes went wide with fear as if he suddenly realized what he had been about to say.

But Severus had heard enough.

"Your uncle used to hit you?" he asked.

"No, it was not…I mean he didn't…it was nothing," Potter stammered out fear glowing in his emerald eyes.

"Potter, it was _not_ nothing. What did that bloody idiot do to you?"

"_Nothing,_" Potter yelled before he leapt to his feet and dashed out of the room before Severus could stop him.

_Bloody boy,_ Severus thought as he dashed after Potter. The good thing about it being summer was the fact that, even at night, it was not as cold outside as it was in the winter. That thought came into Severus's mind when he watched Potter flee out of the house, still barefooted and in his pajamas, and into the backyard.

Severus knew he would have to follow the bloody brat because of the forest that surrounded the cottage on three sides. If Potter got past the wards surrounding the cottage then he was free game for the animals and creatures that lived _within_ the forest. _I promised Lily I would protect him and that's the only reason why I'm going after him,_ Severus reminded himself as he transfigured his clothing into something more suitable to chase after an errant, distraught boy through a forest. With that done, Severus dashed out of his house and, after casting a locating charm, immediately walked off to find Potter.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: so this basically tosses canon out the window**

**Darth: duh**

**Severus: (sneers) that's the obvious thing**

**Harry: yup**

**Severus: what will happen next?**

**Blaze: in the next chapter, Harry will get injured and will be rescued by our favorite Potions Master and Draco will get into trouble**

**Darth: Draco? Get in trouble? What kind of trouble? The "you're grounded" trouble, the "you're grounded for the rest of your life" trouble or the life endangering trouble**

**Blaze: (smirks mysteriously) you shall see, you shall see**

**Darth: (glowers)**

**Blaze: (laughs) I'm having fun with this story and, even if not many people review it, I'm still going to continue writing it. Thank you to everyone who **_**has**_** reviewed this story though. So please review and I will post chapter 5 as soon as I possibly can.**


	5. Rescue

**Five**

**Rescue**

Harry didn't know where he was going.

Almost as soon as he left the cottage, he just ran in a random direction and did not stop. He leapt over upturned roots and ducked beneath low hanging branches almost as soon as he entered the forest he was forbidden from entering. He was past the wards but he didn't care; all he cared about was getting away from Snape and his questions. His uncle had drilled into his mind that he was not to speak about what happens within the Dursley household or else he would get in serious trouble.

Harry also didn't know if he could trust Snape enough to actually got to him and tell him the truth. He was sure that Snape would just find some way to use the newfound knowledge against him and that was probably why he was asking all those questions. _That bloody git,_ Harry thought as he continued to run.

He didn't know how far he had run but he was sure that Snape was following him for Dumbledore had insisted that he was to watch over Harry until summer was over. Naturally, Harry did not like that but the truce was still holding although Harry was positive that his outburst would break the truce that had become fragile because of their constant snide remarks to each other.

There was also know telling of what Snape would do to Harry once he found him and that put an extra burst of speed into Harry's run. He disliked Snape and he knew that Snape disliked him and so that made it difficult for Harry to actually consider that Snape was only trying to help him. That very thought was so surreal that Harry pushed it off right away as ludicrous for no one has ever helped him before. _And why would Snape help me when he dislikes me so much?_ Harry thought.

_He did save your life,_ his conscience murmured.

Harry told his conscience to shut up as he continued to run until exhaustion began to catch up to him. He glanced over his shoulder briefly but he wasn't watching where he was going and, when he turned his gaze in front of him, he ran right into a thick branch as high as his head. The strong branch didn't even budge as Harry collided headfirst hard with the branch do to how fast he was running. The force of his sudden collision sent him flying backwards and Harry barely managed to keep himself upright.

Blood tricked down from the gash the branch had created when he had slammed so hard into it and Harry wiped it away before he took off at another run. He didn't care about how his head was starting to throb again nor did he care about the shallow cut on his forehead that had stopped bleeding almost as soon as it had started.

The forest seemed to blur around him as he ran and Harry found himself more focused on getting away then on paying any attention to where he was going. He couldn't stay at the cottage if Snape would just continue to question him for he feared that he would let spill everything. And that would be disastrous for then not only would Snape have ammo to use against him but also Vernon would find someway to discover he had spoken and make him wish he hadn't.

Harry barely noticed it when the sun sunk below the horizon as his adrenaline suddenly began to die down and his legs ached with how long he had been running. He stumbled but kept himself upright as he continued to make his way through the forest, too stubborn and scared to even think about turning back and going back the way he had come. Harry's legs were now trembling and his eyes were blurring with exhaustion but he still pushed himself onward until his body could not longer take the strain.

Harry's foot suddenly caught on an upturned root, his legs gave out on him completely after that and Harry pitched forward and he was unable to stop himself from falling. His head slammed hard into a rock and the next thing Harry knew was absolute darkness.

* * *

><p>Severus kept on making his way through the forest, his wand easily pinpointing Potter's magical signature and allowing him to quickly determine where Potter was. For a boy as small as Potter, Severus had just noticed that the boy was much too small for his age, he sure did run fast and Severus figured it was the adrenaline that had kicked in. Even with his adrenaline aiding him, it was still surprising to find that Severus had already walked about half a kilometer into the forest and still saw no sign of the boy.<p>

_He must really have wanted to get away,_ Severus thought before he glanced at his wand as it began tugging more insistently, which told the Potions Professor that Potter was nearby.

Severus immediately walked in the direction that his wand was pulling at before he found himself staring at a sight that nearly made him drop his wand in his shock. It was Potter, all right, but the pool of blood and the motionless form briefly stunned and terrified Severus. He quickly shook the shock away as he knelt beside Potter's motionless form and stretched out a hand to touch the wound.

The wound was centered around Potter's forehead and Severus could easily see what had caused the wound for a sharp large rock was jutting out of the forest floor beneath Potter and the rock was stained with blood. Quickly casting a blood halting spell to stop the blood from flowing out of the wound, Severus turned Potter over to get a better look at the wound.

Whatever had caused Potter to fall and hit his head on the rock must have took him by surprise for the boy hadn't even tried to stop his fall. He was either surprised by it or else he was too exhausted from so much running that he couldn't stop it. Severus decided he would worry about that later; right now the important thing was getting the boy at least back into the wards before the animals within the forest found out.

Many animals were attracted by the scent of blood and Severus would much rather be in the safety of his wards with the boy he promised he would protect. Once a quick diagnosis scan showed that the boy was not in danger of making his injury worse, Severus picked the boy up in his arms and began making his way back to the cottage.

He would always deny it but he held the boy comfortably and tenderly as if he was carrying a child. Severus did notice right away that the boy was much too light to be almost fifteen years old and he was much too skinny; this was merely further evidence that Severus's suspicions were correct.

Severus finally neared the wards and entered them, as they were already attuned with his magical signature, before walking quickly into the cottage. Placing Potter gently, to not aggravate the wound of course, on the couch, Severus disappeared downstairs into his potions lab to grab a blood replenishing potion and some other potions before also slipping into the bathroom to grab the other items he would need.

He then returned to Potter's side and first started with cleaning the wound so that it would not get infected. Once that was done, Severus wiped the blood away so that he could get a good look at the wound even as he spelled the blood replenishing potion directly into Potter's body. He wasn't a certified healer but he did have medical experience, it was required if he was to become a Potions Master for accidents do happen with potions. So he knew what he had to do and that was exactly what he did with Potter.

After cleaning the wound, murmuring another spell that sealed the wound up and placed a salve on it to prevent it from scarring, Severus sat back to gaze at the boy. The boy was still unconscious, which wasn't a good thing especially if he got a concussion from that fall, and Severus knew he would have to wake the boy up.

"_Enervate,_" Severus murmured waving the wand over Potter to draw him into consciousness.

"What? What…happened?" Potter murmured as he was brought out of unconsciousness.

"You foolishly ran into the forest, exhausted yourself, fell and cracked your forehead open," Severus stated flatly as he put his wand away.

Potter's eyes were glassy with pain and exhaustion but Severus knew it would not be a good idea for the boy to fall asleep, especially not after his diagnosis showed that the boy had a concussion.

"Potter, don't fall asleep," Severus snapped loud enough to jolt Potter out of his stupor.

"But…?"

"No 'buts', Potter, you have a bad concussion and I cannot risk letting you fall asleep for you might not wake up again."

Potter didn't reply but he did stay up and for that Severus was glad. _Humpf, it looks like you really can listen to and understand orders, _he thought._ Either that or he's just too tired to argue. It's probably the latter._

"I would call Madame Pomfrey to take a look at you but she's on vacation with her family," Severus said. "And it would be too dangerous to take you to St. Mungos so you're just going to have to deal with this."

"You saved my life," Potter murmured. "Again." He was silent for a long moment. "Thank you."

Severus sneered. "I wouldn't have had to save your life, foolish boy, had you not decided to run into the forest in the middle of the night." Not expecting a reply, Severus checked Potter to see if there were any other injuries and tended to them. However, since he was not expecting a reply from Potter, he was surprised when he received one.

"I'm sorry," Potter murmured.

Severus sneered at him as he finished seeing to the other wounds and waved another diagnosis spell over the head injury to see if it had worsened at all. Seeing that everything was as all right as it had been when he first cast the spell back in the forest, Severus sat back on his heels as Potter slowly sat up.

"I…I didn't mean to run," Potter murmured. "I…just didn't want to…want to answer your questions."

"And so you decided that you would rather stay the night in a dangerous unknown forest? Does your stupidity know no bounds?" Severus sneered.

In spite of being dazed and exhausted, Potter did manage to toss a glare at the master spy. "I thought we had a truce," he snapped.

"It's hard to keep that truce from breaking when you seem to go out of your way to make me angry."

"_I _go out of my way? Why don't you try listen to yourself for a change? Then you'll hear what I have to deal with every day. And yet you wonder why _I'm_ angry all the time."

The two of them glowered at each other.

"Potter," Severus said finally when Potter broke off the glaring match. "This arguing is not getting us anywhere."

Whatever sarcastic remark Potter was about to make was cut off by him biting his lip to keep himself from interrupting the master spy.

"Potter," Severus began again. He was determined to get to the bottom of Potter's nightmares and his past no matter what. "I did hear of what you were saying when you were in your nightmare and I want to know why you would say such a thing."

Potter lowered his head. "Can't you just leave it be?" he said quietly.

"No, Potter. If you have been abused then…"

"I have _not_ been abused."

"…you should tell me. No matter how much I do not like you, Potter, I do not tolerate child abuse and I _will_ take steps to remove you permanently from your relative's care," Severus finished.

Potter glared at him. "You can't do that," he snapped. "Dumbledore said that I have to stay there."

"Only because of those blood wards, Potter," Severus snapped. "And those blood wards have fallen because your relatives abandoned you. Why did they abandon you, Potter?"

Potter continued to glare at him although he stayed silent.

"It is a simple question to answer, Potter. The evidence proves that they left you behind and alone. All I want to know is why?"

"I don't know," Potter lied and Severus caught the lie immediately; he wasn't a master spy for nothing.

"You are lying, Potter," the master spy said. "I want to know the truth."

It was obvious Potter was getting rattled up and angry again. "You want to know why? Fine. It's because I'm nothing but a no good freak and a burden that was dumped on their doorstep like yesterdays trash!"

Severus's eyes flashed. "Your relatives called you a freak? And a burden?"

Potter glowered angrily. "Yeah," he said curtly clearly still angry.

"You are not a freak or a burden, Potter," Severus stated firmly.

"They always said that people who used magic were freaks."

"And so does that make me a freak? Or your friends? Or your mangy mutt of a godfather? Or Professor Dumbledore?"

"Well…no."

"Then why did you listen to them when you knew that what they said was not true?"

Potter fell silent again.

"Potter, you revealed quite a bit when you screamed about your nightmare. You were asking someone not to hit you and then you mentioned your uncle's name and then a cupboard."

Potter paled considerably.

Severus considered how best to approach this subject and he decided that he would go for the reassurance approach. "Potter, nothing said here will be revealed to your uncle or to anyone that you do not want to know," he said remembering his own fear at revealing what went on in his house.

"He'll find out. He always finds out," Potter muttered his anger calming down a bit.

"And how do you suppose a mere muggle will found out what is being said here, Potter?" Severus asked.

Potter shrugged.

"Your uncle is not all powerful and, therefore, cannot discover what you have said within a magically warded house several kilometers away from where he lives. Not to mention, he abandoned you and so it's not likely he'll bother coming back just because you revealed his little secret." He paused for a moment before adding, reluctantly, "and if he does then I'll make sure he does not come back."

"Why?" Potter demanded. "You don't like me."

"Yes but that does not mean I'll just let him get away from abusing a child. Besides, I promised your mother that I would protect you."

Potter's eyes went wide at that. "You knew my mum?" he asked.

Severus was silent for a long moment as he regarded the boy that was the son of his childhood friend and one of his worst enemies during his year at Hogwarts. "We were childhood friends," he said finally. "We grew up on the same street together. I was the one that first told her that she was a witch."

"Oh. Were you good friends?"

Severus could tell immediately that Potter was attempting to change the subject and he decided that he would let the boy change the subject…this time. But he would get the truth out of the boy and if it was as bad as he thought it was then Potter's damn relatives better be as far from Little Whinging as physically possible; Severus loathed child abuse and child abusers.

"Yes, she was my best friend," he said. "At least for a while."

Potter frowned. "What do you mean?"

Severus pushed the bad memories to the back of his mind. "Never mind," he said flatly before he stood up. "You'd best continue resting but don't fall asleep for you still have a concussion and I don't know how bad it really is."

Potter looked like he was about to protest but the stern glower that Severus tossed the boy stopped him mid-protest. He then lied down on the couch and Severus stood up before banishing the empty vials and walking into the kitchen. He decided that Potter, so long as he did not fall asleep, would be fine.

* * *

><p>Draco fled the house with his broom almost as soon as his father declared that the dark lord would likely be calling a meeting anytime now. He was determined to stay as far away from the dark lord as he could possibly get without being obvious about it. His aunt, his mother's sister, Bellatrix LeStrange, was the only one that noticed him almost as soon as he entered the kitchen.<p>

"Where are you going?" the insane female Death Eater asked flatly.

"Just for a quick fly," Draco replied to his aunt before he ducked out of the house before Bellatrix could protest. Climbing on his broom, Draco took off into the sky and he found himself alone with his thoughts. Flying provided him with the freedom of the skies and the wind that rushed through his hair; it also gave him the perfect opportunity to consider his options.

He knew that his father would, eventually, force Draco into taking the dark mark and he had no idea to follow the dark lord. His godfather still provided him with advice every now and then but there was very little that Draco could do with what his godfather told him. After all, there were times when his godfather would firmly tell him that he should disobey his father no matter how much he wanted to.

Sighing, Draco continued flying unaware of what his father had found at that particular moment.

At least, that was the way it was until Draco landed soon after he was positive the dark lord's meeting was over. Lowering the broom to the ground, Draco hopped off of it before, with a quick, spell sent it back to his room as the door to the kitchen opened and his father walked out of it.

Or more or less stalked out of it.

"Bella said you would be here," Lucius said; his voice was calm but Draco could hear the underlying anger in his voice and the fury and betrayal in his eyes.

"What's the matter, father?" Draco asked concerned.

"_This _is what is the matter," Lucius thrust the piece of parchment Draco hadn't noticed into his face and Draco took it. The parchment, he realized with sudden dread, was the letter he had received from his godfather recently. "You usually tell me of when you are contacting Severus and what he said is a tad surprising."

Draco quickly read the letter his godfather had written him recently.

_Draco,_

_Your father is still your father and he deserves your respect. Whether or not you do not care for the dark lord nor wish to follow him is not important. What matters is the fact that your father is your legal guardian and you should listen to his decisions even if you don't agree with them. You know that I will always listen to you should you have a problem but I cannot and will not contradict your father._

He paused in his reading before glancing up at his father who was glowering angrily at him. He knew that he was in serious trouble now that his father knew he had no desire to follow the dark lord. _Oh bloody hell, what am I going to do now?_ He wondered silently.

Lucius glared at him. "Get in the house," he ordered and Draco sullenly walked into the kitchen.

Bellatrix glanced at Draco before looking at Lucius. "Why in the world are you so furious?" she asked with a sneer.

Lucius growled at Bellatrix. "I am furious because my own son is a traitor!" he hissed removing the letter from Draco's hands before handing it to his sister in law.

Bellatrix read it before glowering angrily at Draco. "How dare you?" she screeched. "The dark lord will give you everything and yet you _have no desire to follow him!_" Her wand, newly returned to her since it had never been broken when she went into Azkaban, was in her hand and pointed at Draco.

Draco knew of what his aunt could do and he had no desire to be on the other end of his wand but his father was doing nothing to stop her. Lucius just curled his lip into a sneer. "I hate to do this to you, my only son," he spat. "But you will learn your place and you _will_ become a follower." He then stalked off after nodding briefly to Bellatrix while she, letting out a shrill cackle of insanity, barked out, "_Crucio!_"

Draco immediately collapsed onto the ground as the curse slammed into his body and a shrill scream of pain escaped his lips. After a few minutes, Bellatrix finally retracted the curse at an order from Lucius who had walked back into the kitchen.

"I've contacted Severus," Lucius said. "I'm going to speak to him about these letters Draco has been sending him to see how far this treachery goes. Draco, go to your room and do not come out!"

Draco, getting to his feet shakily, quickly did as he was told for he knew that if he stayed then it was likely his aunt would use him to practice her skills with the Cruciatus Curse. He didn't go all the way up the stairs, though, for he heard the floo flare to life and his godfather step gracefully into the living room. Ducking down to where he was out of sight but just within earshot, Draco listened in on the conversation.

Lucius met Uncle Severus in the living room next to the staircase that Draco was currently hiding in. "Severus," Lucius greeted him.

"Lucius." Severus was as impassive as ever. "You wished to speak to me concerning my godson?"

"Yes." Lucius handed the letter to Severus who read it, even though he had written it, with narrowed eyes but little to no emotion passed on his face. Draco wasn't disheartened by this though; he has always known that his godfather was able to hide his emotions very well to make it seem as though he had known. In truth, Draco knew for a fact that his godfather did have emotions and did care even if some of the bloody students at Hogwarts didn't, or wouldn't, believe it.

"Severus, I never thought this betrayal would come from my own son," Lucius said.

"It is surprising," Severus agreed.

"I do not see how it could have been. If your letter is any indication then my son has been speaking with you for a while."

"Yes but the more recent letter was the only one I have received that even spoke of this treachery," Severus said.

Draco started in surprise in spite of the agony he was currently feeling. He has been talking to his godfather about his desire to not follow the dark lord for several days now and yet Severus had just lied to his father in saying that this was the first letter to even mention that. _Why would he lie like that?_ He thought. He supposed it was because Severus had told him that he was more important that Severus's loyalty to the dark lord and that everything he told Severus would be kept a secret.

Lucius raised a blonde eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Severus nodded.

"Well then, now I must figure out what to do with my treacherous son although Bella is not too happy with Draco's treachery and, perhaps, Draco could use a lesson with our fellow ally."

Severus's eyes betrayed no emotion whatsoever but there was a slit twitch of his lips that suggested he was not happy with Lucius's decision but he did not say anything in response for a long moment. "Perhaps it would be beneficial for Draco to merely meet with the dark lord and understand what he has to offer," he suggested clearly coming up with any way to prevent Draco from being placed in the hands of his insane and monstrous aunt.

"No, the dark lord will not let him live if he gets a whiff of any disloyalty from my son. At least if I give him to Bella then he will survive and will learn to follow our lord one way or another. He would be a valuable ally to the dark lord," Lucius added.

Draco was unsure of whether or not that was because he would be the youngest Death Eater of the dark lord or if it was because he was the only child of one of the Death Eaters.

"It would seem you have made up your mind, Lucius," Severus said.

"Yes," Lucius replied before glancing into the kitchen. "Bella?"

Bellatrix walked into the living room. "What Lucius?" she asked curtly twirling her wand between her fingers and Draco shuddered as he remembered the pain caused by the curse.

"Tomorrow morning, we are going to give my wayward and treacherous son a lesson and he _will_ learn to be loyal to our lord."

Bellatrix's eyes gleamed with glee and Draco found himself feeling positively sick and he quickly got to his feet before rushing to his room. Once he was in his room, he opened the window and took several deep gulps of fresh air. The air felt warm against his cheeks and Draco gazed out through the trees as he remembered how wonderful it always felt to be on his broom and flying. In spite of the fact that Potter _always_ got the attention because he was the youngest seeker in history, Draco was good at flying and he enjoyed it.

A knock sounded at his door and Draco stiffened until he realized that it couldn't be his father; when his father was angry he would not knock, he would just barge in. "Come in," he called turning away from the open window as the door opened and his godfather walked into the room.

"I apologize, Draco," Severus said without preamble as he closed the door behind him. "Your father is determined to teach you a lesson and nothing I say can change his mind."

"I don't want to join that bloody murdering bastard," he growled before he quickly clamped his mouth shut when he realized he had just insulted the dark lord to one of the dark lord's most trusted supporters.

Severus wasn't angry though. At least Draco was sure he wasn't angry for it was difficult to tell with his impassive eyes. "That is your own decision, Draco," he said. "But you cannot forget that your father has the right to decide your future should he feel it necessary."

"But the dark lord is horrible," Draco protested. "However much I dislike muggles and muggleborns, I wouldn't go as far as to torture them or kill them."

Severus did not reply before he stood up. "I must be getting back now, Draco," he said. He placed a hand on the blonde wizard's shoulder before adding, "If you need to talk some more than you may write me or visit me." Draco was one of the very few people that Severus had revealed the location of his home to and even his parents did not know.

"Thank you, Uncle," Draco said.

"I do not agree with what your father is doing, Draco," Severus added, "but there is little I can do to help you as he is your father." He produced a potion vial from beneath his robes and handed it to Draco. "Just take this afterwards as it will ease the pain immediately. I would do more but I cannot."

"I understand, uncle," Draco said softly. His godfather respected his father enough to not attempt to contradict anything that Lucius decides for his son for Draco _was_ not his godfather's son. He took the potion before placing it on the side table and Severus sighed before getting to his feet. It was obvious he was not happy with what Lucius had decided to do with Draco but there was nothing he could do about it.

Draco stood up before giving his godfather a quick hug and stepping back when Severus stiffened in surprise. Although Draco used to always hug his godfather when he was younger, not only has it been years since Draco had last hugged his godfather but his godfather always seemed uncomfortable every time. "Thank you, godfather," he said.

Severus nodded. "You are welcome, Draco," he said before he turned around and left the bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 5**

**Darth: how could Lucius do that to his own son?**

**Blaze: he's an evil git**

**Darth: watch your language**

**Blaze: well he is…at least in this story for I know that he turned over a new leaf so to speak during **_**Deathly Hallows**_

**Severus: yes**

**Nagini: (rears up and hisses angrily at Severus)**

**Severus: (backs away slowly)**

**Blaze: don't even think about it (lifts chainsaw dipped in basilisk venom)**

**Nagini: sssorry I wasss under ordersss (quickly slithers away)**

**Blaze: (puts away chainsaw) please review and I will post chapter six, which will be about yet another nightmare and Harry learns a truth about Severus's past that may or may not help him open up about his own past and the continuation of Draco's POV from this chapter, as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon.**


	6. Flight of the Kestrel

**Six**

**Flight of the Kestrel**

Harry woke up screaming yet again as another nightmare plagued his mind of the horrors he suffered at the hands of his relatives before they abandoned him a week after the abandonment. The neglect, the beatings he got whenever he did accidental magic or hurt Dudley or didn't finish his chores or even burned the food he had to cook, the cupboard beneath the stairs, it all continue to haunt his mind. And to make matters worse, Harry didn't cast a Silencing Charm and so his screams echoed throughout the entire cottage.

The door to his room opened and Snape, scowling at the boy, walked to the bed's side. "Potter…?" he growled.

Harry blinked his eyes. "I'm sorry sir," he whispered not meeting the professor's gaze.

"I don't want an apology, Potter, I want an explanation."

"I had a nightmare okay," Harry snapped back.

Snape was silent for a long moment eyes narrowed into hard obsidian slits. "Again?" he asked flatly. "About what?"

Harry shook his head, his uncle's rules echoing in his mind yet again.

"Potter, I have told you before, anything you say here will not be repeated to anyone unless you want it to be repeated to a certain person," Snape said.

Harry still refused to speak.

"Was it about your uncle?"

Harry paled this time until he remembered that Snape had heard everything he had said when he was still in the clutches of his nightmare. That didn't make Harry feel any better but he also knew that Snape would likely continue to question him until they broke the truce and started hexing each other or Harry spoke. And in all honesty, Harry would rather talk then get into a hexing war with the man who saved his life now three times.

"Yeah," he murmured quietly.

"Was he hitting you?"

Harry paled even more and he did not answer.

"Potter, I cannot help you if you do not tell me of what happened," Snape said. "As I told you before, I do not condone child abuse and even if I dislike you, I will not let you continue to be left in their house if they are abusing you in any way."

"Why?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes. Snape seemed to loathe child abuse with such a passion that Harry was absolutely sure that there was a real reason behind it.

"Why what?"

"Why do you not condone child abuse? And why do you hate it?"

Snape sneered. "It is an atrocious act of a coward to abuse an innocent child just because they were born with magic in their veins given to them by their mother," he said flatly.

Harry frowned when he noticed Snape had said _mother_ and not _parents_. "why did you say 'mother'?" he asked curiously.

Snape was silent for a long moment. "Because," he said finally as if finally coming to a decision in his mind, "I was talking about my mother."

Harry's eyes went wide. "You're mother was magic?"

"Yes, she was a witch while my father was a muggle."

"You're half-blood?" That seemed odd considering Voldemort's hatred of anyone that was not a pureblood.

"And my father did not care for it."

Harry's eyes went wide as a sudden realization came to him. "Did your father…?" he broke off unable to finish the question.

"Yes, Potter," Snape said flatly. "My father always hated that I was born with magic and he used to take it out on me. That is why I loathe child abuse, Potter, because I suffered through it for my entire childhood until I was tired of it and left when I was seventeen."

Harry had to admit that he would never have expected Severus Snape, snarky git of a Potions Professor and undercover spy for whatever the Order of the Phoenix was, to have been abused when he was a child.

"So you see, Potter," Snape went on in his silkily but dispassionate voice, "I understand what you are going through as I, too, was taught from a very young age to never speak about the abuse. However, I know about what you went through based entirely on your vivid nightmares and how you wake up screaming and refused to speak about what your nightmares are about. I can see the signs now, Potter."

"You said now? Why didn't you see it before?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes.

Snape was silent for a long moment as if contemplating what to say or what not to say. "I hardly had the chance to see the signs of abuse and I was blind by my dislike of your father," he said finally.

"But I am not my father," Harry protested. "I didn't even know him."

Snape curled his lip in a sneer. "That is of no moment, Potter," he said. "We are here to talk about you and these nightmares. All I ask is for you to tell me of what your uncle did to you."

Harry was silent for a long moment. He was unsure if he should trust Snape but after learning about Snape's past, he couldn't help but see the Potions Professor he thought he'd always dislike in a new light. He was still afraid that Snape would use what he tells him against him but he also knew that the professor would not leave him alone until he spoke.

"Uncle Vernon will be mad when he finds out," he murmured.

"Your uncle abandoned you, Potter," Snape snapped. "I know I have said this before but I suppose I will have to say it again to get it through that thick skull of yours. Prince Cottage is heavily warded to where the dark lord does not know where it is and cannot find it so how do you think a mere muggle will find this place?"

Harry had to admit that the professor was right about that. "It…I…" he broke off unsure of where to start.

"Let's start simple," Snape said by way of compromise. "You spoke of a cupboard during what of your nightmares. Let us start there."

Harry was silent for a long moment as he thought about what to say. "My room for the first ten years of my life was a cupboard beneath the stairs," he murmured.

Snape's eyes flashed with anger.

"After I got my Hogwarts letter, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon moved me to my cousin Dudley's second bedroom."

"Second bedroom?"

"Yeah."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "You also were asking for someone not to hit you. Did your uncle ever hit you?"

Swallowing, Harry nodded slowly.

Snape's eyes flashed again with anger. "I think it would be best if you started from the beginning," he said impassively.

Harry glanced up at the Potions Professor in time to catch a brief gleam of fury in the obsidian eyes before it disappeared. He took a deep breath before he began to speak about his painful past. He barely got past the part about living in a cupboard when Snape glanced up sharply, eyes narrowing.

"Someone has passed the wards," he said getting to his feet before walking quickly out of the room and Harry, slipping into his shoes, quickly followed him. Snape's wand was in his hands and he didn't seem to have noticed that Harry was following him.

"Whoever breached the ward breached it near the edge of the forest," Snape murmured almost as if speaking to himself. "It cannot be someone dangerous for the wards would not allow anyone dangerous to enter the wards. And it's past sundown so who in their right bloody mind would come here? Only a select few know where I live."

Snape came to a stop next to the backdoor to the cottage before glancing at Harry as if just noticing the boy was there. "Potter, stay here," he ordered.

"But Professor, you said so yourself, no one evil or dangerous can breach the wards," Harry protested.

"Nevertheles, Potter, stay here."

Harry glowered angrily but Snape returned it with his own glare and Harry decided that it would be best if he stayed where he was. He stopped walking before watching as Snape left the house with his wand in hand.

* * *

><p><em>An hour and a half earlier<em>

Draco staggered into his room before collapsing almost before he reached his bed after the painful lesson Bellatrix had put him through soon after sundown. He knew for a fact that it would have been longer had the dark lord not called her away at the moment. When Bellatrix came back then it was likely that he would again have to be put through that again. Bellatrix and Lucius had been running errands for the newly reborn dark lord to where Draco's lesson was not given until several days after Lucius's decree.

Picking up the potion his godfather had given it, Draco sank onto his bed and drank the potion in one gulp. It took a while but the potion slowly began to work and Draco felt the pain start to fade away. He gazed at the empty vial and he found himself wondering what he was supposed to do when his aunt came back to finish the lesson. He also found himself thinking about the so called lesson he had received.

"_How dare you?" Bellatrix snarled slamming Draco's body with the red glow of the Cruciatus Curse. "The dark lord is perfect and he will rule all of Britain and we will rule with him. How could you turn down this? How could you…side with that bastard Dumbledore?"_

Draco never could reply to his aunt's statement because he was too busy screaming in pain but now that it was over, Draco couldn't seem to forget it. He wished he could get out of here and go someplace where he would be safe. His own father didn't care about his well being, the fact that he let Bellatrix torture his only son with the Cruciatus Curse was proof of this.

Draco gazed at the window that was standing open and he found himself thinking about what it would be like to fly. He knew that if he could fly then he could easily get away from his uncaring father. Draco gazed at the door frowning as he thought about the spell he had found on his first day back after his fourth year at Hogwarts from one of the books his father had within his manor. He had performed the spell just out of curiosity and he had been surprised by the results of the spell for the spell revealed to the caster what animagus form they may take or if they were even an animagus.

And Draco's animagus form revealed itself to be an animal with wings.

Draco had no idea of how to transform into his animagus form but he knew he would have to try. His father cared little for what happened to him if the fact that he let Bellatrix torture his son just because his son will not follow the dark lord.

A knock sounded on his door and Draco, with a sigh, watched as the door opened and his mother walked into the room. "Lucius told me of what happened today," she said and Draco had to admit he was surprised by the little remorse in his mother's eyes. "I cannot believe you would turn away such a grand opportunity. You could have had everything if you joined the dark lord and yet you turned your back on it."

"I don't want to be a murdering bastard like the dark lord," Draco snapped at his mother this time not even bothering on restraining himself.

Naricissa's eyes flashed with fury. "How dare you insult the dark lord, Draco Lucius Malfoy?" she snapped. "He could have given you everything and we will finally be rid of those bloody muggleborn wizards and muggles."

"I have no love for muggleborns or muggles, mother, but I just cannot stoop to torturing them or killing them," Draco said.

Narcissa snorted. "Perhaps it is a good thing Lucius asked my sister to teach you a lesson," she said flatly.

"What kind of mother are you?" Draco all but yelled climbing out of his bed and glaring at his mother with flaring silvery gray eyes. "How could my own mother just stand aside and let her bloody insane bitch of a sister torture me just because I don't want to follow Voldemort?"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, young man?" snapped Narcissa.

"It is true all the same. I can't believe you would do this to your own son. I hate the dark lord and his monstrous ways and I will not follow him," Draco spat angrily.

Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "Then you are no son of mine," she said flatly before she left the room leaving Draco to stare at his mother with utter shock glowing in his eyes.

His father didn't care about what happened to him and his mother basically disowned him although not legally.

_What am I supposed to do now?_ Draco thought. His parents either didn't care or didn't regard him as her son anymore. No one cared about him enough to take him in and he doubted that he would last long staying here when both his parents could care less about what happened to him just because he didn't want to follow the dark lord. He suddenly realized that there was one person who still cared about him, the same man who had given him the potion that would ease the pain from the Cruciatus Curse and had tried his best to give Draco sound advice.

His godfather.

Draco closed his eyes before concentrating as he remembered the textbook had said he would have to concentrate hard if he wanted to transform. He felt the change slowly but it happened quickly and Draco suddenly found himself on the ground. He glanced at himself and noticed that he was in his animagus form; a small kestrel with light chestnut brown wings and the name Flight. He hopped onto the windowsill before glancing back once at his room and, spreading his wings, soared into the sky.

Flight's instincts as a kestrel falcon came to him almost immediately as he flew just beneath the clouds in the direction of his godfather's summer home. He knew that he was a common sight among the muggles of London so he didn't have to fly that high in the sky although he did stay high just in case. He sailed through the skies heading toward the countryside that surrounded the city and the forest where his godfather's house was located.

It seemed as though time was passing him by quickly as he flew onward, he instinctively knew what to do in situations, such as eating. Flight spotted a mouse scurrying through the forest that he had arrived at an hour after he left Malfoy Manor and he hovered above the mouse for a bit until he swooped down and caught the mouse unaware.

After he ate, Flight flew over the trees rapidly although he realized that he had been flying since he left Malfoy Manor. While falcons were pretty good fliers and could fly for hours nonstop, Flight was still recovering from the curse and so he was still pretty weak and he was surprised he managed to fly for more than an hour. His wings began to ache due to the Cruciatus Curse's aftereffects and Flight had a hard time keeping himself afloat in the air.

He was getting close for the forest was beginning to thin out and he knew that he would hit his godfather's wards soon. The wards around his godfather's home made it possible for Flight to enter them, even in his animagus form, because he was not a dark lord, did not bear the dark mark and had no evil or ill intent in his heart.

Flight's wings continued to ache and he pushed himself to keep flying even though his wings were on the verge of giving out on him. He knew he could have landed on a nearby tree to rest but he was determined to reach his godfather's house one way or another. He barely noticed it when he hit the wards and the only reason he knew he was beyond the wards was because the forest was gone and he could see Prince Cottage rising up in front of him.

Flight's wings finally gave out on him and he spiraled downward before slamming into the ground hard enough to knock him unconscious.

Flight woke up to find the familiar form of his godfather kneeling down beside him. Since he knew that his godfather couldn't understand him, he merely looked at him knowing full well that he still had the silvery gray eyes of his human form. His godfather seemed to have caught sight of his eyes for he pursed his lips together, eyes narrowed and speculating.

"You sure have flown a long way," he said finally to Flight as he waved his wand over the fledgling kestrel. "You've exhausted yourself and it seems you were injured before you started flying. You also fracture your wing upon landing on the ground but, thankfully, it isn't broken."

Flight gazed at him before he let out a sharp screech of pain when his godfather touched his injured wing. Severus sighed. "I will not be unable to treat it if you won't let me touch it," he said flatly.

Flight reluctantly let his godfather touch the wing and watched as Severus waved his wand against murmuring a spell he couldn't hear under his breath.

"Hmm, it looks like it'll take more than spells to fix that wing. I'd best take you back inside."

"Professor?" A very familiar voice sounded and Flight glanced up sharply in time to see the form of his most hated rival, Harry Potter, poke his head out of the doorway of the cottage.

Severus scowled at the boy. "I told you to stay inside, Potter," he snapped angrily.

"I was curious."

"You're too bloody curious for your own good and someday it's going to get you killed."

"You insisted that the wards…"

"Don't even think about tossing my own words back at me. I know what I said."

Potter looked about to reply but instead he spotted Flight and immediately moved forward before kneeling down beside Severus and Flight. "What happened? Was that who breached the wards?"

"No, Potter, the person who breached the wards is invisible and this falcon just happened to be in the area," Severus said sarcastically as he returned his attention to the kestrel.

"You don't have to be sarcastic, sir," Potter snapped back.

"And you'd best mind that attitude of yours, Potter."

"I wasn't giving you an attitude."

Severus's lip curled into a sneer. "Sure you weren't," he spat back this time only a tad sarcastically but also slightly scornful.

"Will you stop with your constant sarcasm, Snape?" Potter growled.

"No and do not treat me with such disrespect again, Potter."

"Or what? You'll hex me?"

"Now who's trying to break the truce, Potter?"

"I didn't start it this time."

"Will you shut up, Potter?"

"Why should I?"

Flight let out a small cry of anger, got onto his talons and hopped forward just far enough to bit Potter's hand, which was resting on his knee. Potter yelped in pain before glaring at the kestrel as he nursed the wound on his hand and Severus smirked.

"The kestrel agrees with me," he said.

Flight nodded in agreement with his godfather before he glanced back up into those obsidian eyes. He was unsure of how to transform back but he found himself curious as to why the bloody Boy-Who-Lived was here and why the dark lord did not know about it. Severus was a Death Eater, Flight was absolutely sure of this, and yet he was lying to Voldemort by not informing him of the location of Harry Potter.

"He didn't have to bite me," Potter grumbled.

"It was a small nip, Potter, so there is nothing to complain about." Severus than transfigured a nearby stone into a blanket and gently wrapped it around Flight before lifting him up gently to avoid aggravating the injured wing. "Come on, Potter."

Potter, still nursing the wounded hand, merely nodded once and disappeared into the house while Severus followed him with Flight wrapped up in the blanket, comforted as he was held in his godfather's arms.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: bet you weren't expecting that**

**Darth: I sure wasn't**

**Nagini: neither wassss I**

**Severus: (pulls out chainsaw dipped in basilisk venom)**

**Nagini: (quickly slithers away)**

**Severus: wise choice**

**Blaze: (chuckles) in the next chapter, Draco!Kestrel gets treated to and both he and Severus learn of Harry's painful past plus Dumbledore makes an appearance and Lucius and Narcissa notice their son is but will they even care?**

**Anakin: maybe**

**Severus: (sneers) what are you doing here?**

**Anakin: I don't know. I was bored.**

**Severus: you're always bored**

**Nagini: that isss true**

**Anakin: whoa, that's a big snake**

**Palpypie: it is**

**Blaze: THAT DAMN SNAKE KILLED SEVERUS! AND THAT DAMN IDIOT KILLED ANAKIN!**

**Anakin: (ignites lightsaber covered in basilisk venom) I'll take care of the snake**

**Severus: (pulls out chainsaw) I'll take care of the idiot**

**Nagini and Palpypie: (quickly slithers and runs away respectfully)**

**Anakin and Severus: (chases after them)**

**Blaze: (chuckles) please review and I will post chapter seven as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon and I would say this story will be about five or so more chapters.**


	7. Discussions

**By the way, what I said would happen in the last chapter won't happen in that particular order**

**Seven**

**Discussions**

Harry observed the kestrel that was wrapped up in the blanket Snape had placed around him and he found himself thinking about the bird's unusual silvery gray eyes. Most common kestrels, as this one clearly was, did not have gray eyes. The kestrel, Harry noticed, was glaring at him and Harry found himself surprised by the amount of venom and hostility in those silvery eyes.

"Professor, I didn't think common kestrel's had gray eyes," he said glancing at Snape.

"They don't," Snape replied flatly. "And how did you know it was a common kestrel?"

"I remember seeing one on the telly when I…when I was living with the Dursleys when I got a chance to see the telly I mean," Harry said.

The kestrel let out a falcon cry that sounded faintly like a falcon's version of a snort.

"We still are not done with our discussion, Potter," Snape added as he walked into his room and gently placed the kestrel on the bed for a moment. He then used his wand to transfigure something, Harry couldn't see what, into a perch before getting the kestrel situated and binding the wing in such a way that the kestrel could not move it and injure it more.

"How bad is it?" Harry asked curiously observing the bird who was still glaring at him but he couldn't help but feel concerned for the bird.

"The diagnosis showed that the bird's wing has been severally bruised, most likely upon impact with the ground, and he is exhausted plus there is an amount of pain in his nerves that strikes me as odd," Snape murmured seemingly not aware that he was talking to Harry for his gaze was fixed entirely on the kestrel that he was currently helping.

"Kestrels are rare," Harry commented. "I remember hearing that on the telly to when Aunt Petunia was watching a documentary on endangered birds of prey."

"They are rare but common kestrels are native to Europe so it isn't likely that this one flew over from a different country." Snape glanced at Harry as if just noticing that Harry was in his room still looking at the kestrel. "And what do you think you are doing in my room, Potter?"

"I just wanted to see if the bird was all right, Professor," Harry snapped back. "Even if you consider me to be an arrogant spoiled brat, I still do care about animals and don't like seeing them get hurt."

"How very Hufflepuff of you, Potter," Snape sneered.

The kestrel cried an agreement.

Harry scowled. "I thought we had a truce, Snape," he snapped.

"It's _Professor _Snape to you, Potter, and we do have a truce although I must admit I am surprised it has lasted this long."

"A week? Yeah so am I."

"If you're going to stay here, Potter, then you may as well make yourself useful. There should be a syringe in the bathroom. Go and get it and get a glass of water as well. We'll need to keep the falcon hydrated until his wing is healed enough to where he could start flying again."

Harry nodded curtly before he jogged out of Snape's bedroom and into the nearby bathroom. He searched through the bathroom until he found the syringe and he then grabbed the cup of water before walking back into the bedroom. He handed both items to Snape who took them with a slight incline of his head that Harry nearly missed before he began to use the syringe to hydrate the falcon.

"I don't think we'll need to hood the falcon," Snape murmured. "This kestrel seems pretty intelligent even for a bird."

The kestrel nipped at Snape but Snape was swift enough to get his long slender fingers out of the way in time.

Snape narrowed his eyes when the kestrel let out a falcon's cry and Harry find himself wondering what in the world the kestrel was saying. Snape seemed to be thinking the same thing for he pulled out his wand and examined the kestrel.

"I'm not sure if this will work but it's worth a shot," he said before he murmured a complex spell under his breath as he waved his wand in different ways with each word he said. The spell landed over the three of them and Snape lowered his wand before glancing at the falcon.

"All right, I don't know if it actually worked but…"

"_It worked._"

Harry narrowed his eyes as he observed the kestrel. "I think I just heard him talk," he said.

"_No duh, Potter,_" the kestrel cried.

Harry was about to question how in the world the kestrel knew him but Snape seemed to have figured out who it was immediately.

"Draco?" he asked.

The kestrel glanced at Snape. "_Yeah godfather although I decided to call myself Flight while in this form,_" he cried.

"What in the world happened? I never knew you were an animagus. Does your father know? And does he know where you are?" Snape asked looking faintly worried.

"_I don't care what my father knows or doesn't know, Uncle Severus,_" Flight cried.

"Dra…Flight, your father needs to know. I'll have to contact your fa…"

"_No!_" Flight screeched in protest and Harry could hear anger and slight fear in his voice.

"Why not?"

Flight was about to reply but then tossed a glare at Harry and fell silent.

Snape understood immediately. "Potter, go to your room or to the kitchen or anywhere else. I wish to speak to my godson alone," he snapped.

Harry glowered but nodded curtly. "Fine," he said before he left the room still thinking about two of his worst enemies being in the same house as him and also the fact that Flight Malfoy was in the form of a common kestrel.

* * *

><p>Once he was sure that Potter was not eavesdropping at the door, Severus turned his gaze to his godson who was currently in kestrel form. "Why don't you want me to tell your parents of where you are, Flight?" he asked.<p>

"_Because they won't care._" It sounded as though there was pain and sadness in Severus's godson's voice. "_My father actually just left me at the mercy of my aunt and my mother disowned me in every way but legally._"

Severus was surprised at that; he had known that Narcissa Malfoy was a supporter of the dark lord, even if she didn't bear the dark mark, but he didn't think she would disown her son in every way but legally. He wasn't too surprised by what Flight said about his father for Lucius had told Severus of what he was going to do.

"_Bellatrix tortured me with the Cruciatus Curse and that's why I got tired faster than a normal falcon, even a kestrel falcon,_" Flight cried.

Severus narrowed his eyes and for a long moment he was silent. "So you came here?" he asked.

"_Well I assumed that because you told me of where you live that you would take me in._"

"It will be dangerous for both of us to be here at the same time, Flight," said Severus.

Flight lowered his head. "_I was hoping…I don't have anywhere else to go,_" he cried softly.

Severus's eyes softened slightly and he sighed. "You may stay here for the time being, Flight," he said finally. "But you might see things here that you _must_ never repeat to anyone outside this house."

"_Like Potter being here when the dark lord is looking for him._"

"Exactly."

"_Why is Potter here?_"

Severus was silent for a long moment as he observed the kestrel and then he sighed. "Do not tell anyone about this, Flight," he said finally. "I cannot have anyone find out about this; your father and the dark lord especially."

"_I won't tell anyone, godfather,_" Flight promised.

Severus was unsure of how to proceed although he knew that his godson would keep his promise. He owed Severus that much for allowing him to stay within Prince Cottage, hide him from his son and give him the advice he wanted. "I am not a supporter of the dark lord, Flight," he said finally.

Flight screeched in shock. "_But you bear the dark mark,_" he cried.

"Yes. This was a mistake I made when I was young and foolish but I never supported the dark lord. In truth, godson, I am a spy and have been for a while now."

Flight was silent for a long moment. "_Is that why you helped me when I told you I didn't want to follow the dark lord?_" He asked.

"Yes."

"_I can't believe it. So you've never supported the dark lord?_"

"At once I did but no more."_ Not after Lily._

Flight was silent for a long moment before he nodded his head in reply. "_I won't tell anyone,_" he screeched.

"Thank you, Flight. Can you transform back?"

"_I don't think so. I only learned how to transform into my animagus form but I never read ahead to learn how to transform back,_" Flight replied.

"We'll worry about that later," Severus decided. "For now, I suggest you rest and I will check on you in a while."

Flight lowered his head in response and Severus left the room before walking over to finding Potter in the kitchen eating a sandwich he appeared to have made while Severus was speaking with his godson. Potter glanced up at him. "What did Malfoy have to say?" he asked as he finished off the sandwich.

"None of your business, Potter," Severus said with a faint sneer as he sat down at the table. "Now then, we will continue this discussion."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Can we talk about this later?" he asked.

"Potter, you cannot keep putting this off."

"I just don't want to talk about it, Snape," Potter said flatly.

"Show some respect, Potter," Severus hissed back. "I told you that our discussion was not over and we will continue this discussion. Flight arriving here in the form of a kestrel only prolonged the inevitable."

"Then you won't mind if I prolong it longer," Potter snapped back. "It's my life so I should take my time when it comes to talking about it."

"If I let you do that, Potter, then you would never tell me the truth."

"And why should I?" Potter snapped angrily. "You treated me like shit for the last four years of my life for no bloody reason and you expect me to trust you enough to tell you the truth."

"You told me part of the truth already, Potter," Severus said flatly struggling to keep his anger under control before he throttled the stubborn son of his childhood friend and only love. "So why must you keep the rest of it a secret? I am trying to help you, Potter."

Potter glared at him although Severus knew that he was thinking about his words for he finally sighed. "Can we at least wait until tomorrow?" he said finally. "I mean, you have to think about Dra...Flight and helping him heal and all that. By the way, what is Flight doing here anyway?"

"That is none of your concern, Potter. And very well, we will wait until tomorrow but tomorrow we will settle everything once and for all," Severus said firmly.

* * *

><p>Three days after he arrived at his godfather's house, Flight's wing healed to where he could fly again but he still had no idea as to how to transform back into Draco. He knew that he was a blonde fourteen, almost fifteen, year old wizard by the name of Draco Malfoy because his animagus form kept his conscious self. However, knowing he was a wizard and a human did nothing to help Flight figure out a way to transform back.<p>

It was now dark and Flight could tell his godfather wasn't in a good mood. In truth, Severus hasn't been in a good mood for the last three days and Flight was absolutely sure it was because of Potter. He heard Severus come into the room growling about how stubborn Potter was and why the blasted boy won't talk to him after everything he has done for him. Flight also heard his godfather mention that Potter was doing whatever he could to put off the discussion he was supposed to have with Severus.

_What could possibly be so important that Uncle Severus has to drag every word out of Potter? And why won't Potter talk about it? _Flight wondered silently as he shifted his grip on his perch and settled down to sleep.

At least, that was the plan until a piercing scream sounded only to be cut off abruptly and Flight spread his wings before flying rapidly toward where he had heard the scream. It was coming from the room that Potter had been given by Severus and Flight was determined to give his bloody nemesis a piece of his mind for waking him up. Luckily, the door was open and Flight was able to fly into it although he noticed something odd.

Potter was tossing and turning in his bed, screaming but Flight couldn't hear anything and he realized that Potter had cast a silencing charm. Flight didn't know what to do; it was obvious Potter was in distress and he kept tossing and turning screaming something that Flight could not hear.

_That does it. I'm getting Uncle Severus,_ Flight thought before he turned around and flew back to his godfather's room. "_Uncle Severus! Uncle Severus!_" he screeched as he flew over his godfather's bed.

Severus growled as his obsidian eyes opened and he glared at Flight. "What, Flight?" he demanded.

"_It's Potter, Uncle Severus. He's tossing and turning in his bed and screaming but I can't hear a thing, which tells me he cast a silencing charm,_" Flight screeched.

"Bloody boy," Severus muttered as he got to his feet and made his way down the hallway toward Potter's room with Flight flying just behind him.

The kestrel landed on the headboard observing Potter as Severus made his way to Potter's bed, his wand in hand and canceling out the silencing charm. The shrill screams of pain and fear that came from Potter's mouth shocked Flight so much that he nearly fell off of the headboard.

"Potter, wake up!" Severus said firmly.

"No, Uncle, please, I won't do it again," Potter moaned and Flight cried softly in shock at Potter's words before he glanced at his godfather.

Severus scowled. "He wouldn't be having these nightmares if he would just agree to tell me about his past," he muttered but whether to himself or to Flight, the kestrel did not know. "Potter, wake up!" He shouted again stretching out a hand to touch Potter's arm.

"Don't hit me," Potter moaned moving away from Severus's touch and Flight nearly fell off the headboard in his surprise at those words. _Did Potter just say what I think he said?_ He thought gazing at his godfather but Severus didn't look surprised.

"Potter, wake up!" Severus called again but Potter continued to avoid waking up as he tossed and turned in his bed and whimpered whenever Severus attempted to forcibly wake him up.

"Potter…Harry! Wake up!" Severus shouted and Flight was startled that his godfather had used Potter's first name.

But it had the desired effect for Potter gasped before opening his eyes and gazing around rapidly. "P…Professor?" he whispered. "H…How? I…I cast a silencing charm."

"And it's a good thing Flight heard you before you did, Potter," Severus said flatly.

"What? How is that a good thing?"

"Potter, you need to speak about what has happened to you," Severus said his voice was still dispassionate but Flight was surprised to hear a faint gentle note in his godfather's voice.

"But…"

"Potter, must we have this discussion again?" Severus asked exasperatedly. "You cannot keep putting it off and I won't let you put it off any longer. We're having this discussion tonight."

"But it's late."

"Whether it is late or early, it does not matter, Potter. We are having this conversation. Flight's arrival has prolonged it and so has your stubbornness to talk about it but no longer."

Potter glared at Severus.

"Potter, you started talking about it before Flight arrived so why won't you finish?"

Potter narrowed his eyes. "Because Malfoy is here," he said finally as if deciding that he didn't have a choice anyway. "He'll use what I have to say against me when we get back to school."

"What makes you think that?"

"That's just what Malfoy would do. We've never liked each other," he replied.

Flight was surprised at that. _Sure I don't like him but what does he have to say that he feels I will use against him?_ He wondered silently.

Severus glanced at Flight clearly asking Flight to leave with his eyes but Flight shook his head. He wanted to know what Potter didn't want him to know for he was curious. Severus sighed. "I am sure Flight will not repeat a single word that is said here," he said.

Potter snorted. "I sincerely doubt that," he said flatly glaring at Flight who was still perched in front of him.

"Very well. If I have to then I will have him swear a Wizard's Oath when he returns to his human form," Severus said finally causing Flight to screech in surprise.

"_What?_" he screeched. "_You'll have me swear a Wizard's Oath that I won't repeat what bloody Potter says!_"

"What Potter has to say is of a sensitive nature, Flight," Severus said firmly. "If you will not swear the oath, Flight, then it would be best if you leave."

Flight glared at his godfather but Severus was unbending and Flight began to wonder what was so important about what Potter had to say that was actually having his godfather do something to make sure no one learned about Potter's words. "_Fine. I'll swear it, Uncle,_" he screeched finally.

"Why?" Potter asked narrowing his eyes.

"_Call me curious._"

Potter glared at him and for a long moment he was silent before he glanced back at Severus who was still watching him.

"We will start from the beginning, Potter, where you started just before Flight got here," Severus said.

Potter glanced at Flight distrustfully at Flight before he lowered his head. "A…After my parent's were killed, I was given to my muggle aunt and uncle," he said finally. "They never liked me from the moment they saw me and they…and they made sure that I knew it from the very beginning. They had…they had given me a cupboard beneath the stairs as my bedroom for the first ten years of my life."

Flight let out a faint screech of shock. _Potter's room was a cupboard? What the bloody hell?_ He thought as Potter went on.

"My aunt and uncle used to put me in there every time they had guests over and they…and they only fed me table scraps if they fed me at all. And they certainly had enough food; my cousin Dudley is as big as a blue whale."

Flight cried in surprise and faint amusement at Potter's description of his cousin but he was surprised that Potter's relatives had actually starved him. "_They starved you?_" he cried out the question.

"Yeah," Potter muttered looking at his hands. "They always said…that food o…only belonged to good boys and not…and not freaks who kill their parents. They even went…even went as far as to say that my mum and dad got themselves killed just to get away from me."

Flight cried in shock at that but he was more surprised by the burning anger in Severus's obsidian eyes. It was obvious that his godfather was struggling to control his emotions but the anger only grew more profound as Potter started speaking again.

"T…They made m…me do the chores, including cooking their meals, from when I was three years old," Potter went on. "And whenever…and whenever I…I did the chores wrong or a bout of accidental magic occurred, they would…they would…" Potter broke off and Flight could see fear in his eyes as if he was afraid his muggle aunt and uncle would appear.

Flight didn't think that was likely and he was surprising himself when he attempted to reassure his Hogwarts nemesis. "_Calm down, Potter. Uncle Severus will make sure that nothing said here will be repeated to anyone and that includes your muggle aunt and uncle,_" he screeched softly.

Potter glanced at him in shock and Flight couldn't help but be surprised himself. _Did I just attempt to reassure Potter?_ He thought surprised beyond belief when he realized he had done just that.

_I must have hit my head harder than I had thought when I first came here, _Flight decided silently.

Potter swallowed before going on, "They would…they would hit me and one time, Aunt Petunia almost hit my head with a frying pan because I burnt the bacon for their breakfast. And Uncle Vernon always used…always used to beat me whenever a…accidental magic occurred."

Severus's eyes were blazing with so much anger now that Flight was afraid he would start breaking things in his anger. Flight couldn't help but be angry as well; he couldn't believe those bastard muggles would dare hit a magical child just because they experienced accidental magic. "_That's messed up,_" he screeched angrily flapping his wings.

"Those bloody muggles," Severus hissed angrily eyes flashing. "If they hadn't abandoned Potter when they did then I would be very inclined to teach them a lesson for what they did. No child should have to suffer through that kind of abuse."

"_They abandoned him!_" Flight exclaimed.

"Yes, they abandoned him," Severus said. "I think they may have fled London and just left Potter alone."

"_Even though the Death Eaters would have known that he was alone and would have tried to get him,_" Flight cried angrily. "_That's why he's here, Uncle, isn't it?_"

Potter glanced up in surprise.

"Yes, Flight," Severus replied calmly and, seeing the dumbfounded and shocked look on Potter's face, he added, "I told Flight of my position, Potter, so there is no need to look so bewildered."

"Oh…well I didn't know that," Potter admitted.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me, Potter?" Severus asked.

"N…No, not that I can think of anyway," Potter said quietly.

"Very well then. You may go back to sleep now, Potter," Severus said getting to his feet and Flight flew over to land on his godfather's shoulder.

Potter lied down on his bed looking relieved to no longer be speaking about his past. "Good night, professor," he murmured and Flight watched as he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Severus had known that his beloved Lily's son had been abused but hearing those words come from Potter's lips caused cold anger to surge through his veins. He was sitting in the living room the morning following his conversation with his charge and he noticed that Flight was watching him.<p>

"Have a nice hunt?" Severus asked as he took a sip of his coffee and observed his godson who had left earlier that morning to hunt.

"_It was rather quick. The forest is just crawling with food,_" Flight replied flying over to perch on the back of the couch. "_Has Potter woken up yet?_"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"_I dunno. I guess…well, I haven't really been treating him that good since we started at Hogwarts,_" Flight admitted. "_I always thought he didn't want to be my friend because he felt himself better than the Slytherins but now I see that it's 'cause, I guess I reminded him of his cousin._"

Severus grimaced. "You aren't the only one, Flight," he said. "I did treat him horribly for the last four years."

"_I'm surprised you two haven't hexed each other into oblivion yet,_" Flight admitted.

"We've come close but we decided that since it wasn't likely either of us would survive the summer without one or the other either ending up in the hospital or getting killed so we agreed on a truce," Severus replied.

"_And how's that working for you?_"

"So far it's actually lasting." Before Flight could reply, Severus felt his mark start to burn and he hissed in pain as he placed his cup of coffee down and sat up holding his arm. Flight screeched in concern before flying to land on his godfather's shoulder as Severus moved quickly to his room.

"Flight, when Har…Potter wakes up, tell him where I have gone," Severus said as he dressed him in the robes and mask he was required to wear when he was called to the dark lord's side.

If Flight noticed that Severus had nearly called Potter by his first name, he said nothing as he nodded and flew out of the room as Severus dashed to the floo. "_Malfoy Manor,_" he called before he stepped into the floo and vanished from his cottage only to reappear in Malfoy Manor.

He walked over to join the other Death Eaters before kneeling down beside the others as Voldemort passed his cool snake like crimson gaze over them. "The breakout has succeeded in causing much confusion in the Ministry and has the Order of the Phoenix running around attempting to stop our raids," he said coolly. "Now then, something else has been brought to my attention, concerning the son of one of my loyal followers. Lucius!"

Lucius moved forward. "Yes my lord?" he asked lowering his head.

"Bellatrix tells me that your son does not wish to follow in your footsteps, is this true?"

"Yes my lord." The cold anger in Lucius's voice caused a shiver to run down Severus's spine. "He told me as much and he was also writing to Severus seeking advice."

"Is that so?"

"Yes my lord."

"And what advice did you give him, Severus?" Voldemort asked looking at Severus.

"I only told him, my lord, that he should listen to his father even if he does not wish to follow you. I do not agree with his decision and I agree that Lucius should have the right to decide his son's future. I did nothing else but advise him to listen to his father," Severus lied easily his occluded mind prevented Voldemort from telling that he was lying. He hated saying that about his godson but he also knew that if he didn't say anything then he would be in even more danger.

"Severus also suggested that I bring my son to meet you, my lord," Lucius added.

"Then that is what you will do," Voldemort hissed. "If he does not join me then I will kill him. Where is he now?"

"He is not here," Lucius said angrily. "The little coward fled and we have been unable to figure out where he has gone."

"How disappointing that this should happen at such a convenient time," Voldemort hissed pointing his wand at Lucius. "_Crucio!_"

Lucius immediately collapsed in agony and Severus really couldn't find it in himself to pity his old friend who condemned his son to pain at Bellatrix's hand, agreed to hand Flight over to Voldemort and called his own son a coward.

"Where could the bloody boy be?" the dark lord hissed as he pulled his wand back and Lucius slowly moved back into a kneeling position.

"He could be with his godfather," Lucius said with a glare at Severus. He and Narcissa were kneeling side by side and Severus was a bit surprised to find that there was no remorse, no concern, nothing but pure anger in Narcissa's blue eyes.

"I assure you, Lucius, that I would have told you if I had the boy," he said flatly. "I have not heard from Flight since I replied to his last letter, the one of which I spoke to you about just before Flight went missing."

The lie came rather easily to Severus's lips for he has been lying to the dark lord about Potter's location and plenty else since he became a spy.

"Finding Lucius's traitorous and wayward son will have to wait," Voldemort said firmly. "We have other matters to think about at the moment." At that moment, Nagini slithered into the open and Voldemort ran his fingers across Nagini's scales as he placed his wand back on his throne like chair.

"Severus, I want some news on Dumbledore," he said firmly.

"There is nothing to report, my lord," Severus replied honestly. "Dumbledore and the Order have been too busy with attempting to convince Minister Fudge that you are back and helping those who escaped the raids."

Voldemort sneered. "Dumbledore is planning something, Severus," he said flatly. "But it would appear that he does not trust you enough to tell you"

Severus had known that was coming and he decided that he would have to lie yet again to get out of this mostly unscathed. Coming up with the most plausible excuse he could think of, Severus said, "I fear it is because of the bloody brat Potter."

"And why do you say that?"

"Dumbledore may suspect that I will attempt to take the boy when he is not watching and so does not wish for me to be near him," Severus lied easily.

"He does not trust you around the boy that you have been teaching the last four years?"

"It would appear so as that is the only reason I can think of for why Dumbledore is not telling me anything when I know that he trusts me more than he trusts others."

"Then you must get Dumbledore to believe he can trust you to be around the bloody Brat-Who-Lived, Severus," Voldemort hissed before he pointed his wand at Severus. "_Crucio!_"

Severus had seen that coming so he prepared himself for the onslaught of pain on his entire body but he didn't once utter a cry of pain. He was also aware of the fact that Nagini was eyeing him but only barely as it was hard to be aware of anything at that moment.

Finally, Voldemort relented and Severus slowly shifted back into a kneeling position. "Bellatrix, you, Crabbe, Goyle and Grayback will lead a raid on the mudbloods, Severus, you will return to Dumbledore's side and find out his next plan, Lucius, I want you to go back to the Ministry and keep an eye on the minister," he ordered and with that, he dismissed them and the Death Eaters began to make their way back to their respected homes.

* * *

><p>Harry woke up from his nightmare and he groggily got to his feet and made his way out of his room not noticing that Flight was following him. He entered the living room just as the floo flared to life and Snape stumbled into the living room.<p>

"_Uncle Severus!_" Flight screeched in concern. "_Are you all right?_"

"I have been better, Flight," Snape muttered as he pulled himself into a sitting position and summoned the anti-cruciatus curse potion before downing it in a single gulp.

"I saw what happened," Harry said quietly eyes wide. "I can't believe he tortured you just 'cause you didn't know of Dumbledore's plan, whatever that plan is."

"The dark lord often doesn't need a reason to torture his followers," Snape said flatly.

Flight landed on Snape's shoulder. "_Was my father there?_" he screeched quietly.

"Yes. He was attempting to find you and he wanted to bring you before the dark lord," Snape replied just as the floo flare to life and Dumbledore's head appeared in the green flames.

"Severus, may I step through?" the headmaster asked not seeming to notice the kestrel falcon that was perched on Severus's shoulder.

Flight let out a kestrel's version of a snort at the sight of the old headmaster while Snape, sneering, nodded curtly. "You're going to anyway," he said flatly.

The headmaster disappeared and his entire colorful body appeared from the green flames. "Has there been any word on Voldemort?" he asked either not noticing or not acknowledging Snape's flinch.

"Bellatrix, Goyle, Crabbe and Grayback are going to lead an assault on Muggle London," Snape said. "Lucius was sent back to the Ministry and I was sent back to your side to figure out your next plan."

"Ah I see. I will inform Remus, Tonks and Moody about this so that they may help the muggles in London."

"I believe the dark lord may be getting a bit suspicious so I suggest that you make it so that the dark lord will believe it was pure coincidence they happened to be there when the attack occurred," Snape suggested calmly.

Harry shuddered; he knew that Voldemort was getting suspicious but not of Snape. Harry remembered that Voldemort believed that there was a traitor in his midst but he couldn't seem to figure out who that spy was. Harry had to admit that he hoped Snape wouldn't be found out as a spy because, even if he didn't entirely like the Potions Professor, he wouldn't want to wish Voldemort's wrath on his worst enemy.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 7**

**Severus: cool**

**Darth: yup**

**Harry: yup**

**Draco: yup**

**Harry: when did you get here?**

**Draco: (sipping cappuccino) after I stole Voldy's cappuccino**

**Voldy: (eating candy and chips) Severus! That little brat stole my coffee! Do something!**

**Blaze: (steals Voldy's candy and walks over to join Draco and Harry)**

**Voldy: THAT LITTLE WITCH STOLE MY CANDY! Do something!**

**Severus: (steals Voldy's chips and walks over to join Blaze, Draco and Harry)**

**Voldy: that is not what I meant, you idiot!**

**Mace: (runs Voldy over in his '64 Mustang) what did I miss?**

**Severus: Voldy got his coffee, candy and chips stolen**

**Draco: and then he got ran over**

**Mace: what an idiot!**

**Voldy's Ghost: I AM NOT AN IDIOT!**

**Blaze: (stabs Voldy with her ghost stabbing sword Ice) yeah you are. In the next chapter, Draco will finally transform back, an accident will occur, Sirius Black will come into the picture and Severus will begin to see more of Lily in her son so please review and I will post chapter eight as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon**


	8. The Beginnings of a Friendship

**What I said would happen in the last chapter is not going to happen in that order and some events don't happen as I said they would. And if this seems unrealistic then I am sorry but it's the way I saw this chapter.**

**Eight**

**The Beginnings of a Friendship**

Sirius Black couldn't stare in utter shock at Dumbledore. "Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed standing up and glaring angrily at the headmaster. "My godson is staying with bloody Snape!"

"It was the only safe place for him, Sirius," Dumbledore explained gently.

"But what in the world could warrant Snape getting his hands on my godson?" Sirius demanded. He still disliked the greasy git as much as he did during their Hogwarts and he hated that his godson was currently in Snape's care.

"The wards around the Dursley household fell and Severus was the only one I could get into contact with to go get Harry before the Death Eaters found him. Harry is safe; I've checked up on them. If I were to be completely honest then I would say Harry looks better than he ever did when he came back to Hogwarts."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What happened to his relatives?" he asked. He never liked the Dursleys; Harry never went into detail when speaking about what his life was like at the Dursleys but Sirius got enough information out of his godson to get a gist of what his godson was went through.

"We don't know. We've been trying to find them to reinforce the wards but we think they may have left London."

Sirius was about to reply when the floo to the conference room flared to life and Minerva poked her head into the room. "Albus," she called. "Severus is trying to get in touch with you but he couldn't seem to find you. He has some news."

"Tell him I'm at 12 Grimmauld's Place with Sirius and if it's really important then he can speak with me here" Albus replied.

"I doubt he'll like it but I'll tell him," Minerva replied before her head disappeared.

"You will let Severus here won't you?" Albus asked turning his gaze to Sirius.

"I suppose," Sirius growled reluctantly.

The floo flared to life and Snape stepped gracefully out of the green flames. He didn't bother looking at Sirius as he moved to the headmaster's side. "Headmaster," he greeted him.

"I guess that what you have to tell me is important for you to actually come here," Albus mused.

"It is important and, in spite of not like the mangy mutt, this is something that he needs to hear."

Sirius's gray eyes narrowed at that.

"But first, the dark lord. For one, he thinks you don't trust me enough to clue me in on any of your plans and he has sent Bellatrix, Crabbe, Goyle and the werewolves on another raid in Muggle London but he didn't say where."

Albus nodded. "I'll let the rest of the Order know."

"Before you go, I need to talk to you about Potter."

"What about him, Snivellus?" Sirius demanded.

"I wasn't talking to you, mangy mutt," Snape hissed back.

"I think we'd best sit down," Albus said before the three wizards sat down at the conference table and Sirius watched Snape for a long moment with narrowed eyes.

"I've found out something about Potter's home life that I feel you should both know. Potter has already given me permission to disclose this information although he is convinced that you will do nothing about it," Snape began.

"Do nothing about what? What did those bloody imbeciles do to my godson?" Sirius hissed angrily.

"If you would stop interrupting them then I would tell you," Snape snapped back.

"Please go on, Severus," Albus said.

"I have discovered that Potter was abandoned by his relatives but before that, he lived a horrendous life. He was abused, Albus, and neglected severely." There was cold fury in Snape's voice. "He spoke of a cupboard beneath his stairs being his bedroom for the first ten years of his life. He was hardly fed and if he was fed then he was fed table scraps. They called him a freak and blamed him for his parents' deaths."

Sirius gasped in shock and anger. _How dare those bloody muggles blame a child for the death of his parents?_ he thought. _And how dare they starve him?_

"Surely it was not that bad," Albus said.

"I've seen abused children before, Albus," Snape sneered. "I did not see the signs before but now I see them clearly. He also spoke of them forcing him to do his chores and cook their meals from when he was three years old."

This caused a reaction out of both Albus and Sirius as both of them had flaring eyes filled with anger at those words. Albus quickly got his anger under control as Snape went on.

"They beat him, Albus! Anytime accidental magic occurred, his uncle would beat him and his aunt even went as far as to nearly hit his head with a bloody frying pan just because he accidentally burnt their bacon! And those are the bloody muggles you left him with!" Snape snarled.

"I never knew," Albus gasped but the anger was evident in his voice and his magic seemed to be reacting to the anger within him for the air seemed to crackle with energy.

"How did you not know, Headmaster?" Snape sneered. "Did you check on him at all in the last thirteen some years?"

"Well no but Arabella Figg was watching him."

"And she didn't report _anything_ unusual!"

"Do you suddenly care for the boy, Severus?"

"Don't change the subject, Albus," Snape hissed. "You know as well as I do that I am pledged to protect him. I promised his mother."

"Then why didn't you do anything?" Sirius sneered.

"Because I did not know, you mangy mutt. How was I supposed to know? Albus forbid anyone to interfere with them."

"And you assumed that he would be loved and cared for and, perhaps, spoiled like James was," Sirius guessed.

"Well yes that too," Snape admitted. He didn't have to hide his disdain; he never liked Harry and both Sirius and Albus knew it. However, Sirius found himself wondering if discovering Harry's background would somehow at the very least ease the hatred. He highly doubted it but if Harry is going to stay at Snape's until school begins then it would be better for everyone if he wasn't hated by the person who was watching over him.

"I never knew, Severus," Albus said with a shake of his head. "If I had known then I would have done something about it. I made that mistake twice in the past already, both with Tom and with you, and I cannot believe that I ended up making that same mistake again with Harry."

"What do you mean by that?" Sirius asked confused at Albus's words. _Did Snape have a similar past to Harry's?_

"None of your business, Black," Snape snapped before Albus could reply. "What are you going to do about this, Albus?"

"There isn't much I can do, Severus, at least until we find the Dursleys. If we are going to get guardianship switched over to someone then we'll need their consent plus we'll need proof."

"I'll be happy to take guardianship of Harry, Albus," Sirius said.

"That won't be an option, I'm afraid, at least not until the trial."

"When is the trial? Has the Wizengamot set a date yet?"

"No, they are stubbornly attempting to stop the trial. They keep insisting that you should get sent to Azkaban for escaping even though he may be innocent of all charges," Albus said.

Sirius scowled.

"For the rest of the summer, Harry will stay with you, Severus," Albus added turning his twinkling blue gaze to Severus.

The Potions Professor narrowed his eyes. "Eventually the dark lord will get suspicious, Albus. He doesn't believe that you'll keep your supposed 'guardianship' of Potter and he will grow more suspicious if I keep telling him that you have guardianship of Potter."

"Nevertheless, Harry is safest where he is because the dark lord does not know where Prince Cottage is," Albus said soothingly. "But I will think of something, Severus. Harry won't go back to those despicable people. I will make sure of it."

"Can I see Harry?" Sirius asked Albus.

"That might not be such a good idea," Albus said gently. "He cannot leave Prince Cottage for the time being or we'll risk him getting caught by the dark lord here."

Sirius grimaced.

"Unless, of course, Severus would be…"

"I will not invite the mangy mutt anywhere near my home," Snape hissed before Albus could finish his statement.

"Severus, Sirius is Harry's godfather. He has the right to at least see his godson," Albus reminded the master spy. "It will not be for long, Severus. Perhaps an hour or two."

Snape glared at the headmaster clearly seeing that he had no choice. "I can see I have no bloody choice in the matter," he said angrily before he glanced at Sirius.

"So when can I go over?" Sirius asked.

"It is up to Severus, of course, Sirius. The cottage does belong to him after all," Albus replied.

Sirius glanced at Snape. "When can I come over, Snape?" he asked trying his best to sound polite since his godson _was_ staying at Snape's and Snape _was_ the master of the cottage in question.

"Might as well get it over with," Snape snorted. "Only two hours though."

"That seems fair for now," Albus said before Sirius, glowering at the master spy, could protest. "I'd best be getting back to Hogwarts now. Minerva wished to speak to me about next years curriculum and some other things that have to do with the Order. Do try to restrain from hexing each other." Without waiting for a reply, Albus floo traveled back to Hogwarts leaving Sirius and Snape in silence.

* * *

><p>Flight lazily flew around the forest surrounding his godfather's home bored out of his mind. His godfather had left earlier to speak to Dumbledore while Potter was working on his summer homework and attempting to avoid any questions directed at him about his past. Flight was still in shock by what he had learned; all this time he had thought Potter didn't want to be his friend because he was an arrogant spoiled brat who thought himself better than him. And yet finding out that none of his assumptions were true, Flight felt as if he had been punched in the gut with the truth.<p>

_I misjudged him badly,_ Flight thought as he landed on the windowsill outside of Potter's room to observe him. The window was open and Flight was sure that Potter didn't know that he was there at the moment.

His snowy owl, Hedwig, did notice however and flew over to perch beside the kestrel falcon. "_Hello Flight,_" Hedwig chirped quietly to not inform Potter of Flight's appearance.

"_Hedwig,_" Flight cried softly in reply. "_What brings you here? I'd have thought Potter's owl would avoid me._"

"_I go where I wish to go and I speak with whom I wish to speak. Harry may be my boy but that doesn't mean he controls me. I am a free post owl,_" Hedwig chirped hotly.

"_Sorry,_" Flight cried softly, which surprised him since he wasn't used to apologizing to anyone, let alone a snowy post owl.

"_You should be,_" Hedwig chirped in response. "_Harry needs help. He truly believes that the human Snape will be unable to do anything to get Harry away from those idiotic humans the Dursleys. May the winged goddess strike them down for what they have done._"

Flight couldn't help but agree with Hedwig on that point although he absolutely refused to admit it out loud. "_Uncle Severus will get it done, Hedwig. He knows what he's doing,_" he cried softly in response.

"_Good,_" Hedwig chirped.

Potter glanced up at that moment. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" he asked flatly.

"_Speaking with your familiar. Is that a crime, Potter?_" Flight cried back.

Potter snorted. "Hedwig, will you do me a favor and take these letters to 'Mione and Ron?" he asked.

Hedwig chirped once in response before she flew over to grasp the letters. "_It was nice speaking with another avian, Flight,_" she chirped before she flew away and Flight turned his gaze to Potter who was still watching him with wary narrowed eyes.

"_What are you looking at, Potter?_" Flight cried back hotly.

Potter snorted. "Why are you here, Malfoy, anyway?" he asked; the only emotion in his voice was curiosity.

"_None of your business, Potter._"

"It has something to do with Voldemort right? I saw your father mention you and turning you in or something like that in one of my visions," Potter said.

Flight flapped his wings his surprise; he had forgotten Potter had mentioned a dream, or vision did he call it?, to Severus when Severus had returned from his last meeting with Voldemort. "_Right, I forgot you saw that. Why did you see that anyway?_" he asked.

Potter was silent for a long moment clearly restraining a sarcastic response. "I don't know honestly," he admitted finally.

Flight spread his wings. "_I'm off to hunt. Will you tell Uncle Severus where I went when he gets back?_" he asked surprising himself by asking anything of Potter.

Potter seemed equally surprised. "All right," he said.

Flight flew out into the air before making his way toward the forest using the air currents to guide his flying. He entered the forest before observing the forest floor with his keen falcon sight. When he spotted a small mouse scurrying through the undergrowth, he swooped down before catching it, killing it and flying toward a nearby tree to eat.

When he was finished, he flew back toward the cottage wondering if his godfather was back yet.

* * *

><p>Harry, after sending out those letters with Hedwig, was bored out of his mind. He had finished his Transfigurations summer homework and was halfway through with the assignment Snape had given them but he was still bored. Sighing, Harry got to his feet before walking out of the room Snape had given him. He decided that he would get some fresh air; Snape never forbid him from leaving the cottage after all.<p>

He made his way toward the back door and he found himself wondering if he should leave word for Snape. He decided that it might not be a bad idea; at least this way, if neither he nor Flight were back by then, then he would know where they were. Since he didn't know where the parchment and quills were, he used his wand to cast a Summoning Charm and wrote down a quick note before placing it on the table and walking out of the cottage.

The backyard was rather peaceful with short stalks of grass, a winding stone path leading into the forest and a small pond in the center where ducks were currently swimming. Harry peered at the forest with curiosity in his eyes before walking over to join them. He remembered what Snape told him about the wards although he never specified how far into the forest the wards stretched.

The last thing he needed was to get lost beyond the protection of the wards.

Harry walked into the forest before glancing up when he saw the familiar form of Flight flying above his head. "Where are you going?" he called up to the kestrel falcon as he landed on a nearby tree branch.

"_What's it to you, Potter?_" Flight retorted.

"Cal me curious."

Flight did the falcon equivalent of a snort. "_I was bored so I decided to go flying._"

"You've been here before right?"

"_Well duh This is my godfather's home,_" Flight cried.

Harry decided to let that slide. "Do you know how far I can go into the forest without going past the wards?" he asked.

Flight was silent for a long moment. "_Only a quarter of a kilometer I think. There are dangers in this forest other than Voldemort's minions, which is why Uncle Severus always made sure I stayed within at least a quarter of a kilometer from the forest's edge just in case so I figure that's where the wards end._"

"How far is a quarter of a kilometer?"

Flight tossed him an 'are you stupid?' look before spreading his wings. "_Follow me,_" he cried before he flew away and Harry jogged after the kestrel falcon. He came to a stop near a clearing when he spotted Flight perched on a branch overlooking the forest beyond the clearing. "_Here,_" Flight cried. "_This clearing is where Uncle Severus told me to stop whenever I came to visit._"

"I wonder what's in there," Harry murmured peering into the forest beyond the clearing.

"_I wouldn't be stupid enough to find out,_" Flight said.

"I wasn't going to try to find out," Harry retorted.

"_Good idea._" Flight fell silent. "_I tried going further into the forest and I ended up getting stuck in quicksand._"

"Quicksand?"

"_Uncle Severus says this forest is filled with pits of them as well as other surprises beyond the wards._"

"Oh."

A howl of pain sounded in the distance and Harry stiffened slightly before peering into the gloom that lay ahead of him. "What was that? It sounded like a wolf," he said. "And he sounds like he's in pain." He started edging around the tree where Flight was perched as the howl turned into a whimper of pain.

"_What do you think you're doing?_" Flight cried clearly shocked that Harry was going past the wards.

"It sounds close, Flight," Harry said. "He could need help."

"_It's a wolf. Wolves get injured constantly. And we don't even know if it is a wolf. It could be a werewolf for all we know,_" Flight cried.

"I still think we should check it out," Harry said.

"_Well fine then. Go get yourself killed, I don't care,_" Flight cried back.

"Fine then. Be that way," Harry snapped back before he made his way deeper into the forest and toward the source of the whimpering. Being mindful of the pits of quicksand that Flight warned him about, Harry made his way quickly through the forest as another whimper sounded just as Harry entered a clearing about five meters from where he had left Flight. He spotted the silvery gray wolf lying on his side and struggling to get to his paws.

_Poor wolf,_ Harry thought edging forward cautiously. He had seen on the telly when he was living with the Dursleys that to avoid startling an injured animal when someone wants to help them, they have to walk very slowly.

Harry still had no idea what was going through his mind; he felt that the wolf needed help even if the wolf was a predator. He moved forward quietly and the wolf glanced up before growling and attempting to leap to his paws but his injured arm gave out on him causing him to collapse.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Harry said as soothingly as possible hoping that the wolf could understand.

Whether he could or not, the wolf seemed to have sensed that Harry wasn't going to hurt him for he sat down again. Harry moved forward before kneeling down beside the wolf and gently touching the paw causing the wolf to growl and snap at him.

"I'm sorry. I just want to help," Harry said before he pulled out his wand and quickly went through the spells he had learned in the last four years. He knew that there was something that he could use and he decided that the best thing to do would be to attempt to at least assess the wound.

_Now how the bloody hell am I supposed to do that?_ He wondered silently. He murmured a spell that would stop the wolf from moving so that he could better help the wolf. Flight flew over to join him before perching on a branch above their head. "_Do you even know what you're doing, Potter?_" he cried.

"No not really," Harry admitted. "But he needs my help."

"_It _is _a he, isn't it?_"

The wolf growled quietly as if to say that he was a boy and Harry smiled faintly. "I think he just answered your question, Flight," he said. He paused for a moment before adding, "Do you know what to do?"

"_Well I know some healing spells that Uncle Severus taught me but I don't know if they'll work on a wolf,_" Flight admitted.

A loud screech sounded in the distance and the wolf lifted his head painfully before he let out a whimper. Harry glanced toward the sound of the screech. "I think whoever, or whatever, attacked this wolf is coming back," he said.

Flight swooped down before landing beside Harry and then he spoke the words of the spells that Snape had taught him. Harry used the ones that Flight insisted were for mending bones and healing other wounds. The wounds on the wolf healed and the wolf placed his paw gingerly on the ground as if testing it out. The wolf barked happily before pouncing on Harry and began covering him with licks that caused Harry to laugh.

"_Wow, I never thought I would see a wolf act like a dog,_" Flight commented.

"Well a wolf is a member of the dog family," Harry said stretching out a hand before gently petting the wolf causing him to bark happily. "I think he's just thankful I healed his paw."

"_We, Potter. You're not getting all the credit,_" Flight cried back.

"Fine, we."

Another howl sounded and the wolf pricked his ears before standing up and growling angrily. Harry glanced at him. "What is it?" he asked.

The wolf barked before pointing his muzzle deeper into the forest just as another howl that sent a shudder go down Harry's spine sounded. "I don't think that's a wolf," he said quietly.

Flight shook his head. "_I don't think so either,_" he cried back. "_We'd better get back into the wards. If it's a werewolf then it won't be able to find the cottage._"

"Why not?"

"_Uncle Severus's family cast so many protection spells over the cottage that anyone who bears the dark mark, other than Uncle Severus, and anyone who poses ill intent or harm to anyone else cannot pass the wards and they also cannot see the cottage. I figure that's why Voldemort or my father or any of the other Death Eaters never learned of where Uncle Severus lived._"

Another howl sounded closer this time and Harry swore under his breath. "Come on," he said.

"_I told you, you shouldn't have went past the wards,_" Flight cried.

"This is not the time, Flight," Harry snapped.

The wolf leapt to his feet before bounding after Harry, going slowly to prevent hurting his paw again, and Harry glanced at the wolf. "Ah…I don't think you should come with me," he said.

The wolf barked in disagreement.

"_Don't you know anything about magical wolves, Potter?_" Flight cried in response. "_If a wizard saves a magical wolf's life, or even helps heal him, then the wolf owes that wizard a life debt._"

"But I didn't save his life."

"_You healed him and helped him when he needed it. A wolf considers that saving his life. It's the same with all animals,_" replied Flight.

"How do you know that?"

Flight was silent for a moment. "_When you're in the form of an animal, you get to know more about animals than ever even if you can't understand any animal outside of the family you are a part of. Good grief, I sound like a professor trying to explain this to you,_" he cried; the last part was filled with surprise and dismay.

Harry couldn't help it; he started laughing.

"_It's not funny, Potter. Shut up,_" Flight cried.

The was closer than ever before and Flight whirled around before crying, "_We're still too far from the wards. Potter, cast a charm to hide your appearance just in case._"

"What? Oh, uh, good idea," Harry said before he cast a quick glamour to hide his appearance just in case the werewolf, if it was a werewolf, was a follower of Voldemort.

The werewolf, for it was a werewolf, appeared and Harry pointed his wand at the werewolf and cast a quick repelling charm that stunned the werewolf. However, there was a wizard with the werewolf, which immediately confirmed that the werewolf was a follower of Voldemort. He quickly stunned the wizard as well, only managing it because he caught the wizard off guard. "That'll buy us _some_ time," he called and Flight nodded in agreement before the two of them started running and flying respectfully toward the wards.

The werewolf and wizard recovered quickly, however, and charged after Harry and Flight but the wolf that Harry had helped leapt at the werewolf howling defiance and sank his claws and teeth into the werewolf's back causing him to howl in pain and anger. The wizard, startled by the sudden appearance of the wolf, stumbled and tripped over an upturned root. However, the wizard was not stupid and he pointed his wand at Harry and Flight and cast a spell that Harry couldn't hear. The spell slammed into Flight sending him spiraling into the ground.

The wolf growled at them, clearly telling them to go while he kept the werewolf distracted. Harry didn't need to be told twice; he quickly picked up Flight's bloody body, the spell had obviously been a cutting charm, and rushed toward the wa4rds. Once they were past the words, Harry, letting out a sigh of relief, released the glamour that had hidden his facial features.

"That was close," Harry breathed placing the kestrel on the ground.

"_Will you be careful?_" Flight cried in pain.

"Sorry," Harry said before he glanced at Flight but he couldn't see where the bloody was coming from. "Uh, by any chance, did you see where that spell hit?"

"_I think my wing,_" Flight grunted.

"Oh that's not good," Harry said gazing at the blood that was pouring from the wound in the wing. "I think it might have gotten more than just your wing. And I have no idea what to do."

Flight was about to reply but the blood was pouring out rapidly, which told Harry that the wound was likely as deep as it was long and it wasn't long before he passed out from blood loss. Harry swore. "This is not good, this is not good at all," he groaned.

The wolf bounded into the clearing tongue lolling out of his mouth and he barked happily before whimpering in dismay when he saw the bloody bird lying on the ground. Harry had an idea. "Uh…wolf, do you think you can go ahead? There's a cottage up ahead. I don't know if Professor Snape is back but if he is then do you think you can bring him here? Try to get it through to him that it's urgent," he said.

The wolf barked once in response before bounding toward the cottage and Harry, thankful that the wolf was obeying and hoping the wolf had actually understood him, turned his gaze back to Flight. "Hold on, Flight," he murmured. "I may not like you but that doesn't mean I want you dead."

* * *

><p>Severus stepped through the floo to an eerily quiet cottage with Black just behind him. The master spy narrowed his eyes before walking into the kitchen completely ignoring Black until he spotted the note on the table. It was from Ha…Potter, telling him that he and Flight were in the forest. "Well, at least he isn't destroying my house," Severus grumbled.<p>

"My godson would never do that," Black growled.

Severus was about to toss back a scathing response when there was a scratching at the door to the cottage followed by a whimpering. Severus, frowning and wondering what in the world that was, walked over to the door before opening it to reveal one of the magical wolves that lived in the forest beyond the cottage.

"What are you doing here?" Severus asked the wolf.

The wolf barked before turning tail and gesturing with his muzzle toward the forest. Black moved to Severus's side before frowning. "What's a wolf doing here?" he asked.

"How should I know? I don't speak wolf. Why don't you try speaking to him? You're both mangy mutts after all."

Both the wolf and Black growled at that. Black shifted form into a shaggy black dog before bounding out of the cottage and Severus followed him out of the house. Black barked at the wolf who barked and whimpered in response before gesturing toward the forest again.

Black shimmered back into his human form. "He said that the boy with him he owes a life debt to is in a clearing and there's a badly injured bird, kestrel falcon I think the wolf said, with him."

"Flight!" Severus glanced at the wolf. "Lead the way."

The wolf barked in agreement before bounding toward the forest and Severus immediately rushed after him while Black, looking confused, followed him. Severus made his way through the forest with his wand held out as he struggled to keep up with the wolf.

The wolf finally entered the clearing that was at the very edge of the wards and Severus entered the clearing his eyes widening briefly when he saw what happened. For one, Potter was there gently scratching the ears of the wolf that had sat down beside him, and for another, Flight was being held in Potter's arms covered in blood and not moving.

"What happened?" Severus demanded rushing to Potter's side and kneeling down beside the boy.

"A werewolf and a wizard attacked us…less than a quarter of a kilometer away from this clearing," Potter explained. "The wolf distracted them long enough for us to get past the wards but Flight was hit with a cutting curse."

Severus swore. "Was it a Death Eater?" he asked.

"I think so."

"Did he recognize you?"

"No, Flight suggested I disguise my appearance so I put up a glamour."

"Well at least you listened for once, Potter," Severus sneered taking the kestrel gently into his arm before waving his wand over the kestrel murmuring several spells.

Black moved forward and Potter glanced up. "Sirius, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Snape was gracious enough to invite me over," Black replied.

Severus snorted. "Gracious? Hmph. I had no bloody choice," he hissed back before he frowned as he gazed at Flight. "We're going to have to figure out how to transform him back. The wound was deeper and I can't heal the wound while he's in this form. His magic won't let me for some reason."

"Sirius, how do you transform back into human?" Potter asked his godfather suddenly.

Severus had to admit that Potter had a good idea but it wasn't like he was going to admit it out loud.

"Well, for one, I would need to be conscious," Black replied. "And then there's a simple spell that can do it if I can't transform back on my own. It won't work if the animagus is unconscious though."

"Can you make him conscious while he's in his animagus form?"

"You should be able to but it's risky."

"He'll bleed out if we don't do something."

Severus curled his lip in a sneer. "I'm amazed Potter. You actually care for someone that is not one of your little lion friends."

"What does that mean?" Black asked flatly.

"Well…" Potter broke off before glancing at Severus who was pointing his wand at Flight and murmuring the spell that would wake him up.

"You may as well," he said flatly.

"Well, Flight is…he's Draco Malfoy," Harry admitted.

Black's eyes went wide. "The son of bloody Malfoy? And you brought him here of all places?" he exclaimed.

"He is my godson, Black," Severus growled. "And I did what I had to do to protect him. Just like I did the same thing to Potter."

"_Ow, what happened?_" Flight cried softly blinking open his eyes before turning his head slightly to gaze at Severus. "_Uncle Severus?_"

"You were hit with a cutting curse," Severus explained. "You're going to have to transform back because, for some reason, I can't heal your wound fully while you're in this form."

"_How do I do that?_"

"The spell is quick," Black said. "Do you want me to do it, Snape?"

"Just tell me the spell, Black, and I'll do it," Severus snapped back while Flight's eyes flickered toward Sirius clearly surprised to see him there. Black sighed before telling Severus the spell and Severus repeated it while pointing his wand at Flight.

The spell hit Flight and Flight's body shimmered until it was back to the form of a nearly fifteen year old blonde teenager.

"Ow," Draco grumbled placing a hand on his side and his arm, which were an angry red color.

"You're going to be in pain for a while, Draco," Severus said. "Let's get you back to the cottage and I'll see what I can do about it."

Draco nodded and Severus helped his godson to his feet before glancing at Black just remembering that they were there. He decided that he would give Potter and his godfather some time to talk. "I don't care what you two do, just don't go past the wards," he said flatly before he led his godson toward the cottage without waiting on a reply from Potter and Black.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: bet you didn't expect that**

**Darth: wolves are awesome**

**Blaze: that is precisely why I brought a wolf into it**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: yup**

**Darth: so…does the chapter title mean that Harry and Draco are going to become friends soon?**

**Blaze: maybe**

**Darth: oh bleh**

**Severus: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Anakin: (twirls lightsaber around in hand) Severus will heal Draco's wound, Harry and Sirius will spend some time together, Voldemort will call yet another meeting, Harry and Draco will have a talk about what happened in the forest and more**

**Obi-Wan: Anakin, stop twirling your lightsaber in your hands!**

**Anakin: why? (accidentally drops lightsaber down random reactor shaft that appeared out of nowhere)**

**Obi-Wan: (sighs) that's why**

**Anakin: uh…oops?**

**Lucius: you're an idiot**

**Severus and Anakin: (take 1.566 steps to the right)**

**Lucius: how the heck can you take .566 steps to the right?**

**Darth: (runs Lucius over) here's your smoothie, Anakin. What'd I miss?**

**Anakin: (takes smoothie) Lucius getting run over**

**Darth: sweet**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter 9 as soon as I possibly can**


	9. Conversations

**Yeah, once again, what I said would happen in this chapter aren't going to happen as I said they would. Also, the conversation at the end of chapter seven, let's just say, er, I accidentally repeated part of it in chapter eight so I'm sorry about that, if anyone caught it at least.**

**Nine**

**Conversations**

Harry and Sirius walked back to the cottage after spending the rest of the day talking in the clearing that lay just inside the wards surrounding the cottage. Snape and Draco were both there but both of them steadfastly ignored the arrival of the boy and his godfather. Harry noticed that Draco's arm was bandaged but the boy still looked pale from the loss of blood.

"Well I guess I'd better be going, kiddo," Sirius said cheerfully causing Snape to toss him a withering glare before he returned his attention to his godson. "I've already overstayed my welcome."

"That you have, Black," Snape said with a glare at Sirius who easily returned the glare with one of his own.

Harry sighed. "I'll see you later, Sirius," he said.

The wolf that had followed Harry into the cottage barked before wagging his fluffy tail and Harry glanced at him. "Uh, what are we supposed to do with him?" he asked.

"That mangy mutt will not stay in my home," Snape sneered.

The wolf barked angrily in response to that.

"He owes me a life debt though," Harry protested. "It's not likely he's just going to leave me alone even if I wanted him to."

"He's right, Uncle," Draco said. "Potter saved him and so the wolf will likely not leave his side until the life debt is repaid."

Snape curled his lip. "Fine," he said flatly. "But he stays in your room or in the backyard."

Harry's eyes gleamed. "Thanks Snape," he said.

"Professor Snape to you."

"Yeah, sorry professor."

Sirius smirked. "Looks like you're going to have to deal with two mangy mutts as you so put it," he said.

"One. I only let you come over because the headmaster insisted," Snape retorted. "Now do me a kind favor and get the bloody hell out of my home before I kick you out."

"I'd like to see you try," Sirius retorted.

Snape's obsidian eyes flashed. "Don't tempt me, Black," he sneered.

Sirius glared at Snape before snorting. "I'll see you later, kiddo," he said again to Harry. "Write me whenever you want."

"I will Sirius."

Sirius nodded before he walked into the living room and floo traveled away while Harry watched him before kneeling down beside the wolf. "What should I call you?" he murmured.

"How about mangy mutt?" Draco suggested sneeringly.

"This mangy mutt saved your bloody life, Malfoy," Harry retorted.

"I would have been just fine."

"Sure you would have." Harry's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I didn't need your help or the help of your bloody wolf friend," Draco snorted.

"Then maybe I should have just left you there."

"Maybe you should have."

"Enough, both of you," Snape snapped irritably.

"But Uncle Severus…" Draco began.

"Draco, whether you like Potter or not, he did save your life. The least you can do is thank him for it," Snape said flatly.

Harry was surprised; Snape was actually sticking up for _him_?

Draco looked equally surprised. "Thank you, Potter," he said finally reluctantly with a brief glance at Harry.

"You're welcome," Harry replied before he scratched the wolf's ears. "I think I'll call you Nova."

"Nova?" Draco echoed. "Why?"

"I dunno. It sounded like a good name."

The wolf barked to show that he liked it.

"See, he likes it," Harry said. "Come on, Nova. Let's me show you my room."

The wolf barked happily before bounding after Harry as he led the way toward the bedroom that Snape had given him.

* * *

><p><em>Two students who dislike each other and a wolf under the same roof. Why the bloody hell did I agree to this?<em> Severus thought exasperatedly as he finished checking Draco's wound while he listened to his godson's description of what happened.

"And the last thing I remember was waking up," Draco finished. "I think I might have recognized the werewolf though, I saw him once before while I was still at Malfoy Manor. It looked like Fenrir Grayback. The Death Eater, I couldn't recognize because of the mask."

Severus nodded. "Keep from moving your arm too much until the wound fully heals. I've closed the wound and stopped the bleeding but there's still a chance the wound will reopen," he said.

"Thanks Uncle."

Severus stood up and Draco stood up with him. "Uncle, can I ask you something?"'

"Of course, Draco."

Draco was silent for a long moment as if trying to figure out what to ask his godfather. "My stuff is still at the manor, uncle," he said softly. "My books, my broom, my clothes and everything else. And I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to go back to the manor."

Severus pursed his lips together in thought. "You're right, it wouldn't be a good idea," he admitted. "I might be able to get your stuff though, Draco, but it'll take some time. I'll at least get your wand since I doubt you brought it with you when you came here."

"I didn't think about grabbing it when I left."

"I thought not. You had other things on your mind. When the dark lord calls again, I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Potter appeared at that moment with Nova barking and bounding around the corner behind him. "I'm taking Nova for a walk," he said before he left the cottage and Severus watched him go before glancing at Draco just as the floo flared to life.

"Severus?" Albus's voice called.

Severus stood up before turning around to find the twinkling blue eyes of the headmaster peering at him from the floo. "Yes headmaster?"

"I need to speak with you. May I step over?"

Severus nodded.

Albus's head disappeared and his whole colorful body appeared through the green flames. Draco looked as if he was about to say something but a stern glare from Severus stopped him. "Severus, I just wanted to…" Albus broke off when he spotted Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

Draco hesitated.

"Can my own godson not visit me, Headmaster?" Severus interjected smoothly and Draco tossed him a grateful look.

"I suppose not, Severus. Mr. Malfoy, may we have some privacy?"

"Draco already knows Potter's here, Headmaster," Severus said.

"You told him."

"He, more or less, figured it out on his own."

"I see. Where is Harry?"

"Taking his mangy wolf friend for a walk."

Draco chuckled quietly while Albus looked confused. "Mangy wolf friend?"

"He saved a wolf today and the wolf owes him a life debt, Professor Dumbledore," Draco explained politely.

"I see. Perhaps, you can join your classmate, Mr. Malfoy, while I speak with Severus."

"A good idea," Severus agreed before glancing at Draco. "You can either go find Mr. Potter or go to your room, Draco."

Draco nodded and Severus watched as the blonde nearly fifteen year old boy made his way to his room as the master spy had suspected.

"We've found the Dursleys," Albus said without preamble as Severus turned his gaze back to him.

"Where were they?" Severus asked; he was a tad eager to make the Dursleys pay for what they did to Ha…Lily's son.

"We found them in Northeastern Ireland."

"You aren't planning on sending Potter back to them after everything I told you, are you?"

"Absolutely not," Albus said firmly. "However, I will need to find a more permanent guardian for him. Sirius cannot because he is wanted by the Ministry, Remus is a werewolf, the Weasleys have too many children to take care of and I can only think of one person who can take guardianship of Harry but he will refuse if I ask him. I'm afraid I might have no choice but to send Harry back to the Dursleys."

Severus's eyes flashed with fury. "Are you daft, old man?" he spat. "A monkey would be a better guardian for Potter than Petunia and Vernon Dursley."

This caused a faint chuckle from nearby and Severus whirled around before glaring at the hallway. "Are you eavesdropping, Draco?" he called.

A sheepish "yes" came from around the corner and Draco walked back into the living room. "Sorry, Uncle Severus," he said. "But when Professor Dumbledore mentioned the Dursleys, I got curious."

"Why would you be curious, Mr. Malfoy?" Albus asked curiously while Severus scowled darkly at his godson.

"Well…Uncle Severus and I both heard of what happened with Potter because of the Dursleys," Draco explained. "Even if I don't really like Potter, I wouldn't wish that kind of…abuse on my worst enemy. Besides, I think I might have misjudged him badly."

Albus nodded. "However, I must say that I may require that you swear a Wizard's Oath for what you hear here today," he said.

"I don't plan on talking to my father anytime soon," Draco said flatly.

Albus looked faintly surprised but before he could say anything, Severus glowered at his godson. "Draco, go find Potter. It would be best if he's here to discuss his permanent guardian."

"All right Uncle Severus," Draco said sounding faintly reluctant but he did what he was told and left the cottage to go find Ha…Potter.

"Severus," Albus said turning his twinkling blue gaze to the master spy, "you're the only person I can ask to become Harry's permanent guardian."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "I have no desire to become the guardian of Ha…the Potter brat," he snapped.

"You are the only one who can do this. The Weasleys, Remus and Sirius can't."

"No Albus."

"You promised Lily."

Severus scowled; of course the headmaster had to bring _that_ up. "I promised Lily I would protect her son. I never said I would become his guardian. Why shouldn't the mangy mutt take him in? We know that he was framed. You can push for a trial and he can get the charges dropped and take the brat in."

"We cannot push for a trial until Pettigrew is captured, Severus. I hate to say this, Severus, but either you agree to become Harry's guardian or I will have to send him back to the Dursleys."

"Blackmail, Albus? I never would have thought you had it in you," Severus said sneeringly.

"I am sorry, Severus, but Harry's protection is primary and the cottage and the Dursley household are the only places safe enough for him."

Severus scowled angrily. "Potter would never agree to having me as his guardian," he snapped.

Albus smiled faintly. "Perhaps, perhaps not," he replied eyes twinkling with an unknown emotion.

* * *

><p>Draco walked over to join Potter who was sitting on the ground watching Nova run around in the forest. Potter glanced at him. "What do you want, Malfoy?"<p>

"Uncle Severus wants you to join him."

"Why?"

"Something about the Dursleys."

Fear crawled across Potter's green gaze and he glanced down. "Snape's sending me back, isn't he?"

"I doubt it, Po…Harry." Draco decided he would give calling Harry by his first name a chance, especially if they were going to be staying in the same house for a while. "Even if he hates your guts, he won't send you back to an abusive household."

Potter, er Harry, was silent for a long moment as if not daring to hope. Draco sighed before sitting down beside the messy haired boy. "Come on, Harry. Why don't we figure out why Uncle Severus wanted to speak with you?" He already knew why but he decided that Harry should figure it out for himself.

Harry sighed before whistling and Nova came bounding back to him before knocking him down and began covering his face with licks. Harry laughed and Draco's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile.

"If I do go back to the Dursleys then I can always stick Nova on them if they try to mess with me," Harry said.

Draco couldn't help it as he imagined the look on Harry's guardians faces when they're suddenly attacked by a wolf, he started to laugh. Harry laughed alongside him for a long moment until they finally managed to get their laughter under control.

"I could just see Dudley's face when a wolf started attacking him," Harry said chuckling.

"That would be a funny sight to see. I bet he would run away."

Harry snorted. "He wouldn't get very far; remember, he's as big as a blue whale. A perfect dinner for Nova."

Draco started laughing at that and Harry joined in and it took them a couple of minutes to get their laughter under control. "Nah, Dudley would give Nova indigestion," Draco said, which caused both him and Harry to start laughing all over again. Neither of them noticed it when Dumbledore and Snape walked into the backyard of the cottage and gazed at the peculiar sight before them.

Draco was the first one to finally get his laughter under control and Harry soon followed suit before he started scratching Nova's ears, causing the wolf's fluffy silver tail to wag like a dog's tail. "Yeah, he would," he agreed.

Draco chuckled.

"I'm glad to see you two getting along so well," Dumbledore said and Draco and Harry glanced over their shoulder in surprise to find the headmaster and Snape standing behind, the first looked amused while the latter was as impassive as ever. "I am curious. Why were you laughing?"

"Harry's saying that if he goes back to the Dursleys then he'll stick Nova on them and we were laughing about how Dudley might give Nova indigestion if Nova tired to eat him, Professor," Draco explained before he and Harry started laughing again.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, rest assured you will not be returning to the Dursleys hopefully."

Harry sobered. "Hopefully?" he echoed.

"You can't really send him back there," Draco protested.

"I'm afraid that there is no one I trust enough to become Harry's guardian."

"What about Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Pettigrew is still at large and Sirius won't be cleared of all charges until Pettigrew can be found."

"Lupin?"

"He's a werewolf, it would be too dangerous for you, Harry."

"The Weasleys?"

"Molly has too many children to take care of."

Dumbledore gazed at Snape. "Severus, I have told you already that either you agree to become Harry's guardian or I'm sending him back to the Dursleys," he said.

"What? You can't expect me to let Snape of all people be my guardian," Harry protested.

"I don't like it anymore than you do, Potter," Snape sneered back. "But if I have to in order to prevent you from going back to the Durselys than I will."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better."

"Cut the sarcasm, Potter."

"Make me."

"Are you trying to break the truce?"

"You started it."

"Quit acting like a child, Potter, blaming someone else for something you clearly started."

"Now who's acting childish?"

"Both of you, quiet!" Dumbledore snapped and Snape and Harry, who were glaring angrily at each other, fell silent.

Draco gazed at the two of them. "Harry, Uncle Severus isn't that bad," he said. "If he was a bad guardian then would he have given you a place to live, a room to sleep in, food to eat and not harm you like those idiot Dursleys did?"

Harry glanced at the blonde wizard. "Are you trying to say you want me to accept Snape as my guardian?"

"If it's between Uncle Severus and the Dursleys then I'd say Uncle Severus is the lesser evil."

Snape raised an eyebrow at that.

"I suppose so," Harry said softly gently scratching Nova's ears as the wolf butted his furry head against Harry's hands. "What do you say, Nova?"

Nova barked happily.

"Well, Nova agrees with you Mal…Draco," Harry commented glancing at Draco who curled his lip into a sneer.

"The wolf is certainly smart. He knows that I'm right," Draco said smirking.

Harry rolled his eyes. "That certainly doesn't mean you're always right. All right, if Professor Snape agrees to become my guardian then I guess I agree as well."

"Perfect," Dumbledore said clapping his hands together in satisfaction. "I'll get the paperwork together and then we can pay a visit to the Dursleys."

Snape's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Dumbledore sighed. "Just don't curse them, Severus. We most certainly don't want you getting sent to Azkaban."

Severus snorted. "I doubt I'd be in there long. The dark lord will probably just break me out. He can't very well lose the only competent Potions Master within his ranks," he said. "But very well, I shall refrain from hexing them to the moon."

At that moment, Snape hissed in pain before grasping his forearm. "He's calling me," he grunted before he turned and dashed into the cottage.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: in the next chapter, a meeting where Severus will grab his godson's wand, Harry and Draco's friendship will grow, Severus will meet the Dursleys and the guardianship papers will be filed**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: also, since I got ninety reviews on this story, I'm going to do something**

**Darth: what?**

**Blaze: I hope to get at least a hundred reviews before I post the next chapter. I am not demanding reviews but whoever gives me my hundredth review will get the chance to create their own OC character that shall be used in **_**Quest of the Avians**_**, the sequel to this story.**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: so please review and I would love it if you all helped me get more than a hundred reviews before I post chapter 10. The next chapter come as soon as I finish typing it as I am still organizing the ideas for the next chapter.**


	10. Guardian

**Thank you to Pandora Jonet who was my hundredth reviewer and thank you to everyone who helped me get 104 reviews. The next chapter shall be the last chapter of this story, if this one isn't, and shall include a brief summary of the sequel.**

**Ten**

**Guardian**

Severus knelt down beside Lucius, being one of the first three Death Eaters to arrive almost as soon as Voldemort called. Naturally, Bellatrix was the first one to arrive and was practically salivating at the dark lord's feet. Before long, several Death Eaters arrived in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor and knelt down before the snake eyed dark lord.

"Welcome my loyal servants," Voldemort purred. "We have much we need to get done. First of all, I wish an update on several things. Lucius!"

"Yes my lord?" Lucius asked moving forward to kneel down in front of the dark lord.

"How are things at the Ministry?"

"Going well, my lord. Minister Fudge is getting more paranoid with each passing day. It would appear that he believes Dumbledore created the tale of your return to steal power away from him. He is also taking steps to try to get the Boy-Who-Lived expelled from Hogwarts or worse."

"That must not happen," Voldemort growled. "Make sure that does not happen, Lucus."

"Yes my lord."

"Severus!"

"Yes my lord."

"What is the news on Dumbledore?"

"Nothing much, my lord. Dumbledore is still pushing for a trial for Black but since they cannot find Pettigrew, the Ministry will not let Black have a trial. Dumbledore is also looking for a more suitable guardian for the Potter brat but has not yet found someone willing so he is still the brat's guardian," Severus replied.

"Who are the candidates?"

"The Weasleys are one but it seems unlikely because of how many children they have to take care of," Severus replied. He had to be careful with who he named because he knew that if Voldemort decided that one of the families he named was harboring Harr…er Potter then he would attack them.

"Very well. Keep an eye out and find out where Potter is being held," Voldemort hissed twirling his wand around before he turned his gaze to Wormtail who was cowering nearby.

"There are very important missions I shall have for all of you soon," Voldemort stated. "For now, however, I must get my facts straight before I order a certain mission. You are all dismissed." And with that, he turned around and walked away as he could not apparate within Malfoy Manor. Severus resisted the urge to sigh with relief; that meant that Grayback hadn't had a chance to report to Voldemort about the attack within the forest near the cottage.

The Death Eaters stood up before making their way either to the floo or toward the door. Severus watched them leave before, keeping an eye out for Lucius or Narcissa, made his way toward the staircase. When he was positive nobody was watching, he cast a disillusionment charm and made his way swiftly and quietly upstairs. On the second floor of the manor, Severus made his way into his godson's room before gazing around until he spotted his godson's wand, lying in its sheath on his bedside table. He reached for it before lifting the hawthorn wand and its sheath into his hands and hiding it within his Death Eater robe.

Making sure no one was nearby, he gazed around for anything Draco might need before he spotted his godson's pack and the books he would need to finish his summer assignments as well as his clothes. Working quickly to avoid suspicion, Severus gathered as much of his godson's clothes together before shrinking them and placing them within his pack along with his shrunken books and shrunk the pack. He stuck it into his robes alongside Draco's wand before he turned around and slowly made his way out of the room, making sure the disillusionment charm was still cast.

When he reached the first floor of the manor, he canceled the charm, as he couldn't floo with it, and made his way toward the floo.

"What are you still doing here, Severus?" Lucius asked walking into the Great Hall to observe his friend.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "I thought I was welcomed to stay here for a while even when we were not in a meeting," he said smoothly.

Lucius blinked. "I did not expect you to stay behind," he admitted finally. "Would you care for a cup of tea then?"

Severus decided that if he was to get out of there without causing Lucius to become suspicious then he would have to take his old time friend on his offer. Severus was unsure of how to proceed around the blonde wizard; Lucius had been his best friend all throughout his years at Hogwarts, helped him whenever he had a particularly rough summer with his muggle father and was there for him most of the time when the Marauders were picking on him.

And yet, Lucius was also the one that brought Severus before the dark lord on the day Severus took the mark.

Severus pushed those thoughts away; he could not afford to get sidetracked on any different topic. He had to focus on getting out of the manor without causing Lucius to become suspicious that he may have stayed behind for another reason other than because Lucius was his friend, at least at one time.

After having a cup of tea with Lucius, Severus said his goodbyes to Lucius, Narcissa and Bellatrix before floo traveling back to Prince Cottage.

He noticed Ha…Potter and Draco were sitting on the couch in the living room with the wolf curled up in front of them. The headmaster was reclining in a chair near the fireplace and stood up as Severus banished his Death Eater robes and mask, sending Draco's wand and shrunken pack to his room as he did so.

"What happened?" Albus asked.

Severus briefly explained the meeting, keeping his voice low to avoid his words reaching his soon-to-be ward and his godson. "After that, he said he might have very important missions for us once he makes sure his facts are straight," he finished.

Albus nodded. "Tonks and Lupin are making sure the Dursleys return to their home before we go visit them. Strangely enough, they are actually happy to be back in England although they were not to happy when we told them that Harry would be returning to them."

Severus narrowed his eyes.

"Rest assured, I only said that to see their reaction. It is obvious they do not care for Harry just by the way they looked when I mentioned his name," Albus assured the master spy before he could reply.

"When shall we go?" Severus asked.

"Tomorrow. I shall leave it up to you to decide whether or not Harry should come with us. Also, Shacklebolt and Bones are drawing up the final draft of the adoption papers. They are going to file them discreetly so people like Malfoy or Umbridge will be unable to discover them but you shall be Harry's guardian legally and they can say nothing about it."

Severus nodded.

"With that done, I shall be getting back to Hogwarts now." With that, the headmaster turned around before floo traveling away and Severus waited until the fire died down before he turned his attention to Draco.

"Your stuff is in your room," he said. "I managed to grab your wand, some of your clothes and all of your books and school supplies."

"Thank you, Uncle," Draco said getting to his feet before he walked toward his room and reappeared a moment later strapping the sheath that carried his wand to his arm.

Nova woke up at that moment before stretching and barking loudly. Harry glanced at the wolf. "Maybe Sirius should have stayed 'cause I have no idea what he's trying to tell me," he commented.

Severus snorted. "The mangy mutt is probably hungry," he said ignoring the growl Nova directed at him for calling him a mangy mutt.

"I think he is. Uh, what do wolves eat?"

"Meat, of course Harry. Don't you know anything?" Draco said snidely.

"There was no need to be mean, Draco," Harry retorted getting to his feet.

"Feed him outside," Severus added as Harry led Nova toward the kitchen and Draco, with a sigh, followed him.

* * *

><p>"Nova sure does have a lot of energy," Draco commented watching Nova run back and forth through the forest although he noticed that the wolf was unconsciously staying within the wards.<p>

"He's a wolf. Sirius said that dogs have a lot of energy, especially after they heat," Harry replied.

Draco was silent for a long moment as he observed Nova before he turned his gaze to the boy who had been one of his enemies until recently. Now, Draco wasn't entirely sure as to what they were but it certainly wasn't enemies. He figured that the only reason why he and Harry didn't get along was because he always thought Harry was conceited and thought himself better than him and Harry probably thought the same about Draco. Now that Draco knew his assumptions weren't correct, he wondered if he and Harry could be friends.

Nova barked happily before springing at them and Draco quickly leapt out of the way to avoid getting knocked down by the overenthusiastic wolf and Harry laughed as he was knocked down easily. Draco noticed that Harry was too small to be almost fifteen years old and he figured it was because of his good for nothing relatives.

Speaking of Harry's relatives, Draco wondered if his godfather would get mad if he decided to go with them if Snape decided to take Harry.

"Will you get off me, Nova?" Harry laughed struggling to push the silver-furred wolf off of him.

Nova barked happily before leaping off of Harry and starting to walk around him as if he was circling prey.

Draco smirked. "He seems to like to use you as a pillow," he said. "Although I don't see why considering you're half his size."

"Oh ha, ha, very funny," Harry said rolling his eyes before he gently scratched Nova's ears. "I wonder if Professor Snape will let me take Nova with me."

"I don't think he has decided whether or not to take you with him," Draco replied with a shrug.

"True enough. I guess I can ask him. Well, if he's going to be my guardian then I may as well try to get along with him better."

"The truce seems to be holding though."

"We've come close to breaking it though. I wonder if the truce will hold when Professor Snape becomes my guardian," Harry mused.

Draco shrugged. "Who knows?"

The following day, Draco woke up bright and early and gazed around his room. The evening before, he had organized his room and, while it will never be quite like his old room, he was comfortable with it. He got to his feet before walking over to his dresser and, after he took a shower and changed, he attached his wand to his arm and walked out of the room.

Harry was up, yawning and eating breakfast by the time Draco entered the dining room/kitchen and Snape was sitting at the head of the table reading the _Daily Prophet_ while sipping at a cup of steaming tea.

Harry glanced up. "Good morning, Draco," he greeted the blonde wizard politely.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Good morning, Harry," he replied equally politely as he took a seat at the table and Snape waved a wand, without taking his gaze off of the paper, and a plate of food appeared before him.

Draco started eating although he noticed Harry was pushing the food around on his plate and there was a nervous gleam in his eyes. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. He hadn't meant to make his words sound rude but the way Harry glared at him told him that he had asked the question rather rudely.

Before he could apologize though, apologies never came easy to a Malfoy, Harry looked back at the food on his plate. "Snape, er Professor Snape, said that I could come with him to the Dursleys and, well, I'm nervous," he admitted.

"Why are you nervous?"

"'Cause they'll be mad that I told."

"So? What can they do with…how many people are going with you?"

Harry pursed his lips together in thought. "Professor Lupin, Professor Dumbledore, someone called Tonks, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall," he said. "So five."

"You really think those five will let the Dursleys do anything to you?"

"Well…no I guess not."

"Then why are you suddenly so nervous?"

Harry sighed. "I dunno. I guess, I'm just not used to getting help. The last time I went to a teacher for help, the teacher called my aunt and, well, let's just say I wasn't too…er…comfortable afterwards."

"Well that won't happen this time. Uncle Severus will make sure of that," Draco declared firmly.

"Yeah and if not then I can always go back and set Nova on them."

Draco laughed. "Just tell him to avoid eating your cousin or he will get sick," he said.

Harry, who had been taking a sip of a glass of orange juice, spit it out and laughed. Snape glanced up with a raised eyebrow but Harry and Draco were laughing so hard that they didn't notice.

"And what is so funny?" Snape asked when the two young wizards finally managed to get their laughter under control.

"Sorry, Uncle Severus, we were talking about warning Nova to not eat Harry's cousin," Draco said, which, naturally, caused the two wizards to start chuckling again.

"We are leaving soon, Ha…Potter," Snape said.

Draco noticed his godfather's near slip of the tongue and he could tell by the look in Harry's eyes that he also noticed it. _Did Uncle Severus almost call Harry by his first name rather than his last?_ He wondered silently.

"All right, Professor." Harry went back to eating before wiping the orange juice he had spilled away with his napkin and tossing the napkin away.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just banish the juice?" he asked.

"I thought we weren't allowed to do magic outside of school during summer."

"We can so long as we aren't in front of muggles."

"Technically speaking, you are only supposed to use magic when you really need it," Snape said pointedly folding the paper before placing it on the table.

"That's not what my father said."

Snape, apparently, decided not to reply to that. "Come," he said. "We are leaving now. Draco, make sure the mangy mutt does not destroy the cottage."

Nova, who was lying next to the door that lead into the backyard, growled angrily at that.

"I will, Uncle Severus," Draco replied. _Well, hopefully Nova will listen to me and stay in the backyard 'till I get back 'cause I want to see how this will play out,_ he added silently but didn't dare repeat his thought out loud.

* * *

><p>Harry walked beside Snape through Ms. Figg's house, feeling nervousness well up inside of him again and he quickly pushed it down. Like Draco said, he didn't have to feel nervous. Nothing would happen to him while he had three full grown wizards and two full grown witches with him.<p>

Speaking of Draco, Harry found himself wondering if he could call the blonde young wizard a friend. They weren't rivals or enemies anymore, that much was for sure, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if he could call Draco a friend yet. He knew that Ron will probably have a heart attack if Harry tells him that he was on speaking terms with Draco Malfoy. Hermione might understand but Draco did insult her quite a bit by calling her a 'mudblood' while they were at Hogwarts the last four years so she might not forgive him so easily.

Dumbledore walked in front of them with McGonagall at his side while Lupin and Tonks were bringing up the rear of the group. Snape and Harry stayed in the middle of the group as they neared Number 4, all of them were sporting muggle attire to not attract notice.

Dumbledore raised a hand and rang the doorbell. The door opened and Harry watched as the familiar chubby face of his cousin Dudley appeared before them. Widening his eyes, Dudley quickly slammed the door and rushed away yelling that the "freaks were back".

Harry flinched while Snape's eyes flashed.

The door opened again and Petunia glared out of it. "Come in, all of you," she spat. "We don't want the neighborhood to see us."

Snape sneered but otherwise stayed silent as the six wizards walked into the room.

"You brought us back to England and then you threaten to return the brat to our care so what do you want?" Vernon growled angrily.

"Threaten?" Tonks echoed. "He is your nephew."

"We never wanted that unnatural freak," Petunia spat her eyes flashing with hatred.

"I see that your hatred of your sister has passed down to your nephew, didn't it, Tuney?" Snape sneered.

Petunia's eyes flashed to Snape immediately. "Severus," she growled angrily.

Harry was about to ask how Snape knew Petunia until he remembered that Snape knew his mother and so it was likely that he would know his aunt.

"You have not changed a bit, Tuney," Snape said.

"So what do you want?" Vernon demanded.

"Simple, we want the truth out of you."

"Whatever the boy told you, he lied."

"You see? I told you he would say that," Harry whispered to Lupin.

Tonks chuckled softly.

"We know the truth, Dursley," Snape said coolly. "Harry did not lie to us."

Harry felt surprise well up inside, replacing his nervousness. _Did Snape just call me by my first name?_ he thought. He could tell by the surprise in Lupin's and Tonks's eyes as well as that odd twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes that they were surprised as well.

Petunia sneered at him. "The boy is a good for nothing liar and ungrateful little urchin," she sneered.

"We want the truth," Dumbledore said. "And you will tell us everything. We will know if you are lying."

"We will tell you nothing now get out of our house," Vernon spat.

"Sit down," Dumbledore said quietly but with a firm tone that had the Dursleys complying immediately. Dumbledore and Lupin sat down while Tonks hopped into the chair across from where Vernon was sitting and Petunia sat beside him. Dudley was standing near the backdoor as if he was about ready to bolt.

Harry glanced at him while Snape drifted over to stand on the other side of Dumbledore's seat on the couch.

"Now then," Dumbledore said calmly, "you shall tell us the whole truth."

Both Dursleys stubbornly remained silent.

"This is a waste of time, Albus," Snape said coolly. "It would be better if I just used legilimens on them."

"Yes but there is no telling if the Ministry will believe that. It would be better if they spoke of it and we had witnesses to what is being said."

Harry moved to stand beside Dudley causing his cousin to pale and glared angrily at him. "Get away from me, freak," he snapped.

"I am away from you," Harry replied and he was, technically, right. There was about a meter of space between them.

While Snape and the others interrogated the Dursleys, Dudley included, Harry half-heartedly listened to the excuses his aunt and uncle came up with. It wasn't long before Snape started pacing, either deep in thought or trying to refrain from hexing the Dursleys. Lupin was growling angrily, golden eyes flashing with fury, McGonagall looked like she wanted to rip the Dursleys' heads off their shoulders and Tonks's hair was flaring an angry reddish color.

The only wizard in the room that wasn't about ready to hex the Dursleys was Dumbledore.

"Is that all?" he asked calmly.

"Yes," Vernon growled angrily although Harry noticed he left out what happened when Harry's Hogwarts letter arrived when he was eleven.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "You have not told us everything," he said.

The two Dursleys glared at Snape who merely gazed impassively back at them before he went back to pacing.

Slowly, the Dursleys finished their story and, by the time they were done, Lupin had gotten up and was pacing while McGonagall and Tonks looked about ready to team up to rip Vernon and Petunia's heads off their bodies.

Dumbledore was about to reply when Snape suddenly hissed in pain and clasped his forearm, obsidian eyes narrowed with fury and disbelief. "Now?" he hissed speaking to no one. "Of all times, _now?_"

"Go, Severus, we shall finish things up here," Dumbledore said.

Snape nodded before he dashed past a startled Dudley and apparated away the instant he was out of the house. Harry watched him go wondering why Voldemort was calling Snape so soon after the last time he called him.

"You have done a horrendous crime, Dursley," Dumbledore said returning his blue gaze to the Dursleys. "Now then, since it is obvious you are unfit guardians for Harry considering you abandoned him, you will sign these guardianship papers."

"Who would want to be the guardian of the freak?" Dudley asked.

Harry noticed that a familiar kestrel had flown into the room through the door Snape had left ajar when he left an he wondered if Flight would attack Dudley for that statement. Based on the furious look in the kestrel's gray eyes, Harry had a feeling Flight really wanted to.

"Severus would, actually," Dumbledore said.

Petunia sneered at the mention of Snape's name before she grabbed the papers and signed them before handing them to Vernon who was more than happy to sign them. "It was because of Severus that my sister grew up to be a freak and get herself blown up by another freak," she spat angrily.

At that very moment, a ghostly silver doe appeared in the center of the house. "_Get the Dursleys and get out!_" was the short message the doe spoke in Snape's voice before the Patronus was gone.

Dumbledore swore and leapt to his feet. "Remus, take Harry to Grimmauld's Place for the time being. Tonks, you, Minerva and I will take the Dursleys. Quickly."

"I am not going anywhere until I know what the bloody hell is going on," Vernon growled.

An explosion sounded outside.

Harry let out a cry of pain and grabbed his scar while Lupin quickly ran to his side. Dumbledore glanced at him in concern as another explosion sounded and Harry's scream grew louder.

"Get him out of here, Remus," he said firmly.

Lupin nodded before grabbing Harry's arm, turning on the spot and disapparating with a sharp _crack_ that distilled the air.

"Wait, what about the others?" Harry protested as they reappeared just beyond the wards of Grimmauld's Place. His thoughts drifted to Flight and he hoped the kestrel had thought to leave the instant the Death Eaters and Voldemort arrived.

"They will be fine, Harry," Lupin said leading the way into the apartment building before calling, "Sirius!"

A moment later, Sirius appeared and immediately ran to Harry's side. "Are you all right? What happened?" he asked.

"We went to the Dursleys," Harry said. "They signed away custody of me and Snape's my guardian now."

That, in itself, caused Sirius to narrow his eyes.

"But then the Death Eaters arrived and Voldemort was with them," Harry finished.

Sirius's eyes filled with concern. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you something to eat and drink."

Harry nodded before he and Lupin followed Sirius up the steps and deeper into Grimmauld's Place.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 10**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup it is**

**Darth: so what's going to happen in the last chapter?**

**Blaze: (purses lips together in thought) the aftermath of the failed attack on Number 4 Privet Drive, Sirius's reaction to Severus being Harry's guardian, Lucius giving custody of Draco to Draco's godfather and more shall happen in the very last chapter of this story. So please review and I shall post the last chapter as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soo**


	11. More Than a Promise

**This is going to be an extremely long last chapter so bear with me.**

**Eleven**

**More Than a Promise**

Nymphadora Tonks appeared with a slight crack that distilled the air in a deserted clearing some kilometers away from Little Whinging with a terrified Dudley struggling to free himself from her grip. "Oh stop that. I didn't hurt you," she said irritably her hair turned a black color to showcase her irritation.

A _crack_ sounded and Albus and Minerva appeared with Vernon and Petunia respectfully. Vernon growled angrily before pulling his arm quickly from Albus's grip and Petunia, trembling with fear, slowly moved away from Minerva's side.

"Get away from me, you freaks," Vernon snarled angrily.

"We freaks just saved your life," Tonks snapped hair flashing red in anger.

"Calm down, Nymphadora," Minerva said gently.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!"

"You're going to have to leave England yet again, Dursley," Albus said. "This time, however, you will be leaving on our terms and not your own. You are only lucky Severus managed to deliver a warning even though it was at a great cost to his health."

"Why should I care about Severus?" Petunia sneered. "He was the one that turned my sister into a freak."

"Lily was not a freak," Minerva hissed angrily her eyes flashing with rage. "Severus did not turn her into a witch, she was born with magic and therefore always was a witch."

Petunia looked like she was about to say something else but, before she could, Albus shook his head. "We are not safe here. Come, we will take you to a hotel in France for the time being," he said before he grabbed Vernon's arm, turned on the spot and apparated away.

Minerva and Tonks followed with Petunia and Dudley in their hands.

They reappeared just beyond the city limits of Paris and the wizard and two witches quickly made sure their clothing was muggle style before they entered the city with the terrified and angry family just behind him. Dudley was gazing around with huge eyes before he spotted a restaurant nearby.

"Mummy, dad, I'm hungry," he whined.

"Let's get you settled in before you think about getting something to eat," Albus said before Petunia or Vernon could reply.

"But I'm hungry! Dad, tell these freaks to let me get something to eat or I'll waste away."

Tonks snorted. "You wouldn't waste away if you went a week without eating," she said curtly hair turning back to black to show how irritated she was.

"Mummy, the freak insulted me," Dudley cried.

Tonks scowled before waving her wand at Dudley and he suddenly couldn't speak anymore. "Much better," she grunted before she dropped back to bring up the rear of the group as Albus and Minerva led the way to a nearby hotel.

After getting the small family checked into the hotel, Tonks, Minerva and Albus walked out of the hotel and Tonks let out a long sigh of relief. "Those muggles are horrible," she exclaimed.

"I told you so," Minerva said to Albus.

"Yes you and Severus told me so," Albus said with a sigh as he led the way beyond the outskirts of Paris before the three of them apparated to the wards surrounding Grimmauld's Place.

The three of them reappeared just beyond the wards and walked past the wards before entering Headquarters. Sirius met them at the entrance to the apartment building. "How'd everything go? Harry explained everything," he said.

"It went all right," Albus said. "We took the Dursleys to Paris for the time being. I only hope Severus wasn't caught sending us that warning when he did."

"The greasy git can take care of himself," Sirius said with a snort and Tonks frowned when she heard the comment within the insult Sirius had just uttered.

"How's Harry?" Minerva asked.

"He's all right. He has a slight headache but I gave him a pain reliever and he went to take a nap in his room," replied Sirius.

"Let's get going. Minerva, do me a favor and contact the rest of the Order of the Phoenix, I believe this is something they should know about."

Minerva nodded before walking away and Albus and Tonks followed Sirius as he led the way toward the conference room of the apartment building.

* * *

><p>Flight flew above the forest heading toward Prince Cottage in an attempt to get back to the cottage before his godfather arrived. He knew that his godfather was still at a meeting with the dark lord and that meant that Flight had a good chance at reaching the cottage before his godfather realized he was gone. He dived down toward the ground the instant he got past the wards and shimmered into his human form.<p>

Draco then made his way quickly to the door and slipped into the cottage before gazing around. "Nova?" he called.

A bark sounded and Nova came rushing toward him before tackling him to the ground and immediately began licking him all over the face. Draco grimaced. "Stop it, Nova. Get off," he exclaimed pushing the wolf off him.

Nova barked happily before walking around in a circle around him and Draco chuckled before walking around the cottage to make sure Nova didn't destroy the cottage. When he was sure everything was normal, Draco glanced at the wolf who lowered himself to the ground and began to lick his fur.

Draco shook his head at the wolf's antics before walking into the living room to wait for his godfather to arrive. At the same time, he hoped his godfather didn't get caught after sending that Patronus to warn Dumbledore and the others that the Death Eaters were going to attack.

_I hope you will be all right, Uncle Severus,_ Draco thought. He frowned when the floo flared to life and Harry stepped into the cottage with Dumbledore just behind him.

"Severus isn't back yet?" Dumbledore asked sounding worried.

Draco shook his head. "I didn't realize he left your little muggle visiting group," he said.

Harry tossed him a look that instantly told the blonde wizard that Harry knew he was there throughout the entire conversation.

"Well, Harry, please let me know when Severus returns," Dumbledore said glancing at the dark haired boy. "And I'd best be getting back. I have some people I need to speak to."

Harry nodded and Dumbledore floo traveled away. Harry glanced at Draco. "So why were you at the Dursleys?" he asked.

Draco shrugged. "Curiosity," he replied.

"So you know where Snape went?"

Draco nodded. "I saw him disapparate from the house and I saw the attack. You guys got out of there just in time actually. The Death Eaters attacked within seconds of you leaving and Severus was among the group."

"How'd you know that?"

"He spotted me while I was flying away and he was close to the back of the group. From the looks of it, he was late but, thankfully, Voldemort didn't notice," Draco replied.

Harry nodded.

* * *

><p>"You all failed me," Voldemort snarled angrily pointing his wand at his gathered Inner Circle. "<em>Crucio!<em>"

Severus and the other Death Eaters collapsed on the ground as agonizing pain exploded in his body. Voldemort wasn't entirely sure as to how the muggles and the wizards knew they were coming since the wards were gone.

"We must have had a spy within the group," Voldemort hissed angrily. "Other wise, they would never have known we were coming."

Severus kept his Occlumency skills as strong as he could possibly make them as Voldemort scanned the Inner Circle's mind with Legilimancy. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how Severus looked at it, one of the newest members of the Inner Circle was trembling with fear and Voldemort noticed this immediately.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort barked out and the killing curse slammed into the unfortunate member and he was killed instantly.

Nagini slithered into the open at that moment before examining the dead Death Eater and slithering to Voldemort's side.

"Return to your predetermined duties," Voldemort ordered.

The group stood up and Severus slowly made his way toward the floo but, before he could, Lucius stopped him. "Severus, I want to speak with you alone," he said coolly.

"About what, Lucius?" asked Severus calmly his eyes and face impassive.

"It's about Draco."

Severus felt fear well up inside him but he quenched it down. "What about Draco?" he asked forcing himself to sneer out Draco's name as he followed Lucius into the kitchen.

"Draco betrayed us by expressing his desires to not follow the dark lord and we have no idea as to where he is. He trusts you, however, Severus and Narcissa and I have agreed to give custody of him to you. When he does come to you, which will be eventually as he cannot survive on his own, make sure he pays for betraying the dark lord," Lucius said with a sinister smirk.

Severus resisted the urge to wipe that smirk off of his former friend's face. "I shall, Lucius," he replied all the while grimacing inwardly about how much he wished he could just hex his supposed allies to the moon and get on with his life.

"Very good. This shall be kept strictly between us although if you get tired of making him pay then you may always bring him back before the dark lord," Lucius said.

Severus nodded.

Lucius summoned the papers before handing them to Severus who signed them easily. He knew that he would have gotten custody of Draco the instant Lucius and Narcissa no longer wanted him as their son and the papers were only to make it legal.

"I shall file this with the Ministry right away and keep it on the down low for hte time being," Lucius said taking the papers back. "I would give you Draco's stuff right away but, for some reason, his stuff is gone so I figure he took everything with him."

Severus nodded before walking out of the kitchen and floo traveling back to Prince Cottage. Once he arrived in the living room of the cottage, he sighed before summoning the Anti-Cruciatus curse and drank it down with one gulp.

"Uncle Severus, are you all right?" asked Draco walking to the master spy's side.

"I've been better. Is Ha…Potter here?"

"Yes, Uncle Severus. He arrived about half an hour before you did. Oh and Professor Dumbledore told Harry to let him know when you got back," Draco replied.

Severus nodded. "By the way, your father signed over custody of you to me," he said. "He asked me to 'make sure he pays for betraying the dark lord'. His words, not mine."

Draco grimaced. "So I'm officially your ward?"

"Yes."

"What about Harry?"

"The Dursleys signed over custody before the Death Eaters attacked so he is my ward as well. Will you find him, Dragon?"

Draco nodded before jogging out of the living room and he reappeared a moment with Harry and Nova just behind him. "…and Uncle Severus said that the Dursleys signed over custody to him," he was saying when he came within earshot of the master spy.

"I was there, Draco," Harry reminded the blonde wizard.

"Oh right."

"I will be back later, Draco," Severus said before he walked over to the floo and floo traveled back to Grimmauld's Place.

Albus glanced at him as Severus entered the conference room before taking a seat in a seat in the shadows of the room as far from Black as he could possibly get. He briefly noticed Lupin and Tonks were sitting side by side while McGonagall was sitting beside Moody and Shacklebolt with the Weasleys sitting next to Black.

"We managed to get the Dursleys out of the house and Harry here after Severus's warning arrived," Albus said. "The Dursleys are currently taking a trip in Paris and I have spoken with Madame Maxine. She has enlisted the help of Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley to help her prevent the Dursleys from returning to Britain for the time being. Severus, what happened after the attack failed?"

"The dark lord was not too happy," Severus replied calmly. "He tortured every single member of the Inner Circle and put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the newest member of the Inner Circle and killed him."

Albus nodded. "Also," he said, "as Sirius has know doubt learned, Severus has custody of Harry Potter."

Black sneered angrily before glaring at Severus. "And why would you do that considering you hate him?" he spat.

"I do not hate Potter, Black," sneered Severus. "And it was either I get custody of Potter or Albus would send the boy back to the Dursleys. I may not like him but even I am not cold-hearted enough to send him back to those bastards."

"Oh how very kind of you," Black said voice dripping with sarcasm. "I understood that you had Snape watch over Harry for the time being, Albus, but why the bloody hell did you let him have custody?"

"Think of it this way, Sirius," Albus said calmly. "Will Voldemort," Severus flinched, "even think about looking for Harry with Severus considering Severus is a member of his Inner Circle?"

Black glowered angrily. "I suppose you have a point," he muttered before he folded his arms across his chest and added, "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"All right. I suppose this meeting is at a close for now," Albus said before he stood up and the people in the meeting gradually made their way back to their homes or back to the Ministry.

* * *

><p>Remus walked over to join Severus just before the master spy could floo travel back to Prince Cottage and he glanced at the werewolf with a sneer on his face. "Did you want something, Lupin?" he asked curtly.<p>

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I came over and spoke with Harry for a bit," Remus replied.

"Actually, I do mind so no."

Remus sighed. "I know that you really don't like me considering what happened in sixth year but Harry is still my best friend's son and I should be allowed to speak with him," he said.

"Then why don't you just wait until he comes over here?" Severus retorted glaring at the werewolf.

Remus let out a long sigh. "Fine, you want to know the real reason I want to go over? I want to see how Harry is settling in," he said.

"So you think I cannot take care of him like I am supposed to?"

"Now you are just twisting everything I am saying," Remus said getting a bit frustrated with the Potions Professor. "I know that you promised Lily to take care of him but, after hearing of everything Harry went through and actually meeting those idiotic Dursleys, I am trying to tell you that Harry will need more than just a place to eat and sleep. He will need comfort, a sense of security and, possibly, love as well."

Severus glared at him and a brief flash of pain entered his eyes before he looked toward the floo although Remus heard him murmur "the last person I loved was Lily and look how well that turned out?"

"Severus, you know that Lily loved you and would want you to love Harry as of he was your own. You are pledged to protect him but Harry needs more if he's going to really overcome what the Dursleys put him through," Remus said gently.

Severus glared at him, his obsidian eyes flaring with anger. "I know what I pledged, Lupin," he spat. "And that is all I will do, protect him."

"Would Lily want you to just protect Harry?"

"Don't bring Lily into this, Lupin!"

"I can and I will because it is the truth. I was there when you made that pledge, Severus, and you remember that I was there. You swore that you would protect Harry and give him love and care as well as treat him as your own should anything happen to Lily and James. And, becuase Albus placed him with the Dursleys and you thought he was being treated like James, Severus, you could not fulfill your vow but now you can.

Seveurs glared angrily at Remus but Remus knew that he knew that he spoke the truth. Remus had been there; he had been the one to cast the spell that would bind Severus to the Unbreakable Vow he swore. Also, it was obvious by the look in Severus's eyes that he had completely forgotten about the other two terms of the vow he had sworn to Lily thirteen years earlier.

Severus looked away glaring angrily at the wall as if it had done something to anger him. "I took him in to my home and gave him shelter and food. I don't think I can do more than that, Lupin. It's been too long," he added the last part so quietly that Remus barely heard him.

"Just try, Severus."

Severus glared at the werewolf. "The only reason I will even consider your suggestion, Lupin, is because of that vow I swore," he said flatly before he floo traveled away.

"I don't see why you bothered trying, Moony."

Remus glanced over his shoulder to find Sirius walking over to join him with narrowed gray eyes. "You heard everything," he said phrasing it as a statement.

Sirius nodded. "He'll always be that greasy git, Moony. Why did you even try?"

"Because, right now Padfoot, he is all Harry has. You are still not cleared yet after all. Severus is the only one that can help Harry heal."

"I can help Harry heal too."

"Yes but you are still a convicted felon until we can find Pettigrew," Remus reminded the Animagus.

Sirius sighed. "I guess so," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Severus sighed as he walked into the living room of Prince Cottage before gazing around for his wards. Nova wasn't there as well but Severus figured that the wolf and his two wards were outside. That meant that Severus had some time alone with his own thoughts. He couldn't help but think about Lupin's suggestion; as he had said, he had been the third person involved when Lily asked Severus to swear that unbreakable vow but Severus didn't know if he could.<p>

He had to admit, although probably never aloud, that Harry was more like Lily than James and the truce has kept them from killing each other. Plus, Severus, although he was too stubborn to admit it out loud, had been concerned and hoping that he had managed to cast that Patronus in time.

Severus knew that he wouldn't start caring for the boy instantaneously because of how long it has been since he last cared for someone but he would at least put in an effort to help the boy and not just because of the vow that he only recently remembered. Severus remembered his own childhood; his abusive father, his submissive but very kind mother who died just after his sixth year and the years he spent in a life of poverty and abuse until he finally had enough and went to the cottage. He understood what Harry had suffered through and, like Lupin said, he would be the only one who could help Harry through that.

He sighed as the conversation he had with his best friend and only love when he swore the Unbreakable Vow about thirteen years earlier came back into his mind after so many years of it being on the edge of his subconscious.

_"Lily, do you honestly think I can do this?" a younger Severus asked quietly._

_Lily smiled gently at her best friend. "I do, Severus. You've always had a kind heart even if you hid it behind your seemingly emotionless façade. No one could have survived long as a spy if they didn't have that kind of kindness," she said._

_Severus looked away from Lily. "I don't think that I can, Lily. I already made the biggest mistake of my life by siding with the dark lord."_

_"Yes you did, Sev, but you repented and went to Dumbledore for help."_

_"Not until _after_ I delivered that blasted prophecy!"_

_Lily placed a hand on Severus's shoulder. "But it was because you warned Dumbledore that Voldemort would be coming after us that you atoned for that mistake," she said gently not noticing or not acknowledging Severus's flinch at the mention of the dark lord's name. "I want you to help me, Severus. I don't trust our Secret Keeper so I want you to do something for me."_

_"Anything Lily."_

_"I want you to swear an Unbreakable Vow."_

_"I'll do it," he said softly causing Lupin, who had been called to join them by Lily, to glance at him in surprise. He had been hesitant on letting Severus be alone with Lily when they came to Hogwarts after Dumbledore went to retrieve them after learning of who Voldemort would target so Lily had agreed to let him come with them. James hadn't been too happy but, nevertheless, agreed with Lily to keep Dumbledore busy._

_"I don't want to sound mean but I really don't think Albus has Severus's best interests at heart even though he gave him a chance to repent and become a spy for the Order," she had said to her husband when she handed her son to him._

_Lily stretched out a hand and Severus took it before Lupin, on an urging from Lily, placed his wand on the joined hands._

_"Do you, Severus Snape, promise to protect Harry should anything happen to James and I?" Lily asked._

_"I do." A thin serpentine line of reddish light circled around the linked hands._

_"Do you promise to help Harry whenever he needs help?" Lily asked._

_"I do." A serpentine line of blue light encircled the joined hands._

_"Do you promise to care for Harry should there ever come a time when he needs it?"_

_"I do." The last serpentine line, green light, encircled the joined hands and forever bound Severus to his word._

_Severus, I know that you can do this even if you think you can't," Lily said releasing Severus's hand while Lupin lowered his wand. "And Severus, you will always be my first and my best friend. Never forget that."_

Those were the last words Lily ever spoke to Severus because she went into hiding that same day and a couple of months later, on that dreaded Halloween night, she was gone. Severus had been the one to find Lily and that was the first time since his mother's death that he actually cried. He remembered that after finally getting his tears under control, he had tried to find the boy he was supposed to protect, care for and love but the boy was already gone.

He had then gone to Albus who informed him that Harry had been given to his relatives. Severus knew Petunia but he had been so blinded by his grief that he figured Petunia wouldn't pass on her hatred of magic and her sister onto her nephew and would raise him to be as spoiled as his father had been. And, since Albus never once hinted at anything going wrong within the household, he stuck by this beliefs.

At least until recently and the wards around the household fell and he was forced to rescue the boy and learn a few surprising truths about Harry's home life. It was then that he knew he had to do everything he possibly could to keep Harry out of that household, his vow and the promise he made was not the only reason. Severus, as he had told Black, was not cold hearted enough to leave a child at the mercy of someone as horrible as the Dursleys.

_When did Potter become Harry?_ Severus wondered silently when he realized he had just referred to the boy by his first name. In truth, he has been nearly calling the boy by his first name so many times since they arrived at Prince Cottage.

"Uncle Severus?"

Severus blinked before turning his obsidian gaze to his godson who was standing in the living room gazing at him with concern in his eyes. Harry and Nova were sitting nearby also watching everything.

"Yes?" he asked.

"You seemed distracted, Uncle," Draco said.

Severus shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I suppose I was just thinking about something."

"About what?"

"A promise I made fourteen years ago." Without waiting for Harry to put two and two together, Severus led the way into the kitchen. "Come, let's get something to eat."

Draco nodded before jogging into the kitchen and Harry stood up before following him although he did glance at Severus as he sat down at the table. Severus briefly allowed him to look into the eyes that reminded him so much of his beloved Lily before he looked away and summoned the food to the table.

* * *

><p>"Something's going on with Snape," Harry murmured later that day as he sat down on the couch with Nova resting at his feet and Draco lounging in one of the chairs in the living room.<p>

"Like what?" the blonde wizard asked curiously.

"I don't know. I've never seen him this distracted before. Did he overhear something during the meeting that has unsettled him or what?"

"I don't know honestly. Why don't you just ask him?"

"Are you bloody crazy? He won't tell me and it'll likely just lead to another argument that will probably end up breaking the truce," Harry said with a snort.

"Harry, just ask him. I'm sure the most he will do is tell you to he won't, or can't, tell you and then you just have to leave it like that. There won't be an argument if you just accept his answer and leave him be," Draco said. "He's not an unreasonable man."

"Unless you're a Gryffindor."

Draco snorted. "Just because Sev doesn't take points from Slytherin doesn't mean we don't get punished. We usually get points taken in private or have to serve detentions that are handed out in private. Being a Slytherin doesn't mean we get away with everything you foolish Gryffindors do."

"Who are you calling foolish, you sneaky snake?"

"Why thank you. I take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't meant as one."

"So, I took it as one."

Harry scowled good naturedly at the blonde wizard who was slowly becoming his friend. "Nova," he called and the wolf lifted his head before glancing at Harry. "I think Draco could use a bath."

Nova barked happily before leaping at Draco and began covering him with slobber licks.

"Stop it," Draco said laughing before he struggled to push the wolf off of him and added, "Now that was low, Harry, even for you."

Harry smirked.

Draco shook his head as he finally managed to push Nova off him. Nova merely barked again before circling in the area between the couch and the chair before sitting down and gazing at the two wizards with liquid brown eyes. Draco grumbled as he wiped the slobber off of his face.

Harry couldn't help it; he started laughing.

Draco glared at him but he smiled before shaking his head. "I'll get you back for that, Harry, a Slytherin always gets even," he boasted.

"Good luck with that," Harry said still laughing.

As laughter seemed a bit contagious, Draco started laughing as well.

Harry sobered after about ten minutes of laughing before he took a few deep breaths to get his breath back and glanced at Draco. "Do you really think if I ask him why he's so distracted?" he asked.

"Well, the worst he can do is tell you to leave him alone so I think you should. Do you want me to come with you and hold your hand like a little baby?"

"Nova, I think you missed a few spots."

Nova leapt up before tackling Draco and covering him with licks that caused the blonde wizard to scowl and laugh at the same time as he attempted to push the wolf off him.

"Where is he anyway?" Harry asked when Nova bounded off Draco and sat back down on the floor.

"I think he might be in his lab or in his room, I don't know honestly."

"I'll go find him then. If I don't come back then ask your godfather what happened," Harry said getting to his feet.

Draco snorted. "I doubt he'll kill you, Harry, for asking a simple question."

"I'll just say you were wondering as well."

Draco opened his mouth to protest before he closed it and shrugged. "Well I am wondering as well."

"Then why don't you ask him?"

"And get turned into potions ingredients because I disturbed him, not on your life."

"Oh so you want to make me the Boy-Who-Got-Turned-Into-Potions-Ingredients-Because-He-Disturbed-Snape?"

"Nah, that would be too much of a mouth full to say."

"Git."

"Gryffindork."

"Slytherdork."

"Oh real original."

Harry smiled faintly before walking out of the living room and making his way toward Snape's room. He hesitated outside of it before raising a hand and knocking on the door.

"What?" Snape's voice snapped from within.

"Uh, Professor, can I ask you something?" Harry asked.

There was a moment of silence before the door opened and Snape glowered down at the small fourteen-year-old boy. "What Potter?" he asked curtly.

"Well, Draco and I were wondering why you've been so distracted since you got back from that Order meeting," Harry said.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "You both were wondering this?" He asked.

"Yeah."

Snape narrowed his eyes as if contemplating whether to tell Harry or not. "I've been thinking about your mother," he said finally, "and a promise I made to her thirteen years ago."

"To protect me?"

Snape was silent for a long moment. "It was actually a bit more than that, Ha…Potter," he said.

Harry narrowed his eyes when he noticed the near slip up. "Why can't you just call me by my first name?" he asked curtly before he swore in his head. _Why the bloody hell did I just blurt that out like that?_ He wondered silently.

Snape gazed at him for a long moment in silence so Harry rushed to explain before the spy got mad.

"I mean, if we're going to be living together and you're going to be my guardian then wouldn't it make sense to call me by my first name? I mean, you call Draco by his first name. And you also called me by my first name when we were visiting the Dursleys," Harry added quickly.

Snape was still silent although he didn't look mad. "Very well Harry," he said finally shocking Harry to the core.

Harry was silent for a long moment. "What did you mean by the promise was a bit more than to just protect me?" he asked finally.

Snape stepped out of the bedroom before closing the door behind him. "Let's go outside for a bit," he said before he swept past Harry and began to make his way outside after informing Draco of where they were going.

"Can Nova go with you? I think he wants to go out," Draco said and Harry noticed the wolf was at the door to the house pawing at it. He shook himself amazed at how much Nova acted like a dog.

Snape opened the door and Nova immediately rushed out of the cottage and Harry chuckled before following Snape outside.

The two of them walked over to the pond in the center of the backyard before Snape sat down and Harry sat down beside him gazing at the glistening waters.

"Your mother came to me about ten months after you had been born," Snape said finally. "Remember how I told you that your mother and I were friends for a while?"

Harry nodded. "You never explained why," he said.

Snape's eyes clouded with pain. "It was the worst mistake of my life that drove her away, even worse than taking the dark mark," he murmured before he sighed and added, "What I am about to tell you, Po…Harry, I want you to promise you will never tell anyone about it."

Harry figured it was very important that he agree especially if he wanted to know why Snape thinking about his mother and the promise he made to her was distracting him so much. "I promise, professor."

"That means your friends, your mangy mutt of a godfather and Draco."

Harry bristled slightly at the insult to his godfather but decided not to voice it. "All right, professor, I promise."

Snape sighed. "When we were in fifth year, your father and Black were, to put it mildly, being prats. Whether you believe me on that part or not is up to you. Nevertheless, they basically humiliated me in front of everyone but Lily came in to stop them. I got mad at her, I was humiliated, Harry, and I didn't know what I was saying. I called her a 'mudblood' and she broke off our friendship soon after that."

Harry's eyes went wide. "You called you a 'mudblood'?" he exclaimed.

Snape nodded. "However, I was filled with so much remorse for what I did afterwards that I tried my hardest to apologize to her. She wouldn't listen to me, however, and wouldn't accept it."

"I bet. I wouldn't accept it either," Harry said narrowing his eyes.

Snape was silent for a long moment his obsidian gaze locked on the lake. "I went to my mother for advice," he went on. "She was very sick at the moment but she listened to me and then suggested I send a letter to Lily, addressed anonymously so that Lily hopefully wouldn't toss it away before she even read it, and explain everything. Tell Lily everything I was too humiliated and upset to tell her face to face and inform her. I did so."

"Did she read it? My mother?"

Snape nodded. "She wrote back explaining how she had acted irrationally and wanted to be my friend again," he said. "She forgave me for that big mistake."

"But why did you take the dark mark?"

Snape was silent for a long moment. "My mother died the summer before my sixth year. That upset me greatly because it meant I was left to deal with my muggle father until I was of age. Lucius Malfoy used my grief at my mother's death and my hatred for my muggle father to coax me into joining the dark lord. After I took the mark, the second greatest mistake I ever made, things basically went downhill from there. Your mother still listened to me, though. She was always a very kind hearted woman and she understood when I explained to her why I took the mark. She suggested that I go to Professor Dumbledore but I didn't. He never did anything for me when I went to him about my father so I figured he wouldn't do anything for me now."

"He didn't do anything for you even though your father was a…abusing you?" Harry echoed eyes wide with surprise before he sighed and added, "He did the same thing to me."

Snape's eyes flickered with surprise at that but he didn't say anything for a moment.

"So you didn't go to Dumbledore after you took the dark mark?" Harry asked deciding to return to the subject at hand.

"No. I stayed at the dark lord's side in spite of everything Lily attempted to do to convince me out of it." Snape's eyes closed and he went on, "What I am about to tell you will probably make you hate me more than you already do but let me finish my story before you try to hex me."

"I won't hex you. We have a truce," Harry retorted flatly.

"After you hear of what I did then you won't mind breaking the truce."

Harry frowned; he had a feeling what Snape was about to tell him was very bad. "So what is it?" he asked.

"A couple of months before you were born, the dark lord was getting paranoid because the Order of the Phoenix, which is the Order the headmaster told you about, had been too quiet for too long. The Order of the Phoenix is an order of witches and wizards who are determined to take down the dark lord forever."

"And you're a spy for them?" Harry asked.

Snape nodded. "That didn't happen until after this though," he said. "I was still a new recruit and, like all the other Death Eaters, I was trying to raise up in the ranks. I figured that it would be less likely I would be killed if I got into the Inner Circle, at that time I was only focused on surviving since I couldn't get rid of the dark mark I had already taken. Also, I decided that even if I couldn't trust Dumbledore, I would still try to help them. I overheard a prophecy spoken by Professor Trelawney in Hog's Head and, like any other recruit who was in the bar at the time, I rushed to tell the dark lord. In all honesty, I was hoping that the prophecy would just keep the dark lord busy and it will give the Order time to move against him. However, I was not expecting the dark lord to act on the words of the prophecy. It was spoken by Professor Trelawney after all."

Harry snorted. "She couldn't predict what was for breakfast the following day," he muttered.

Snape's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile but he repressed it as he went on, "That prophecy spoke of a boy who would be born at the end of July and you and Neville Longbottom were the only two boys who were born at the end of July. The dark lord immediately decided to go after you because it also spoke of parents who 'thrice defied' him and your parents defied him more times than that. When I learned of this, I was so horrified by what I had done so I attempted to convince the dark lord to go after someone else. I couldn't bear it if Lily or you lost their lives, you were just a baby after all and even I am not heartless enough to condemn a baby to death. When the dark lord refused to listen to me but agreed to spare Lily, I knew that he wouldn't spare Lily because Lily would not stand aside and allow you to die."

Snape paused for a moment before going on. "I went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect Lily, James and you. I may not have liked James but even I would not have condemned him to death at the hands of a mad sorcerer. Dumbledore wasn't too happy with me but he finally agreed to send James and Lily into hiding to protect them. They decided that Lily and James would be placed under the Fidelius charm and chose someone to be their Secret Keeper. At first, we thought it was Black but we learned later that it was Pettigrew when Black escaped from Azkaban. That was when Lily came to speak with me along with Professor Lupin. She didn't trust Pettigrew and she asked me to swear an Unbreakable Vow…"

"What's an Unbreakable Vow?" Harry asked suddenly while he attempted to wrap his mind around the fact that Snape was partially responsible for his parents'. He agreed to not hex Snape until he was done but he was curious as he has never heard of an Unbreakable Vow.

"It's a vow sworn between two people with a third party as a witness that, if the vow is broken, will be result in the death of the person who broke it," Snape explained. "I would have done anything to protect Lily so I agreed to the vow. At that time, I had also already agreed to stay within the dark lord's ranks and become a spy for the Order. Lily had me swear a vow to protect you, help you whenever you need it and care for you should there ever come a time when you need it."

"Then why did you treat me like shit the last four years at Hogwarts?" Harry demanded.

"Let me finish and you will know. Pettigrew betrayed your parents after I swore that vow and I found them there but you were already gone. I didn't think that I could provide you with the care you needed but I wanted to make sure you at least got sent to a decent home. When Dumbledore told me you were sent to Petunia, I was so blinded by grief that I didn't consider the possibility that your aunt's hatred of your mother would be passed down onto you. When you came to Hogwarts, I treated you horribly in order to keep my cover, for one, and because you reminded me of everything I lost that night on Halloween. I knew I shouldn't have taken it out on you but I still did. And for that, I am sorry."

Harry blinked surprised that Snape actually _apologized_ to him.

"When I found out how you were being treated by your relatives, I knew I had to take you in so that's what I did. I gave you a home and food to eat."

"So you fulfilled your vow," Harry said. "At least most of it. I mean, wasn't the last part of the vow to care for me should I ever need it?"

"Yes but the last person I cared deeply for was your mother and I lost her. I suppose, ever since then, I have refused to care for anyone else for fear that I would lose them eventually."

"But you do care for me, Professor," Harry blurted out.

Snape glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Let me explain. You saved my life in first year from Quirrell, when Lupin tried to attack us in third year and when I ran into the forest and gave myself a bad concussion. You gave me a home and food, you listened to me when I told you everything my relatives did to me, you didn't think I was lying and you convinced Dumbledore to get me away from my relatives. Tell me the truth, professor, did you do all of this because of the vow you swore?"

Snape shook his head. "I didn't remember the vow until earlier today when Lupin reminded me of it," he admitted.

"You see, Professor? You cared for me even before you remembered that you swore an Unbreakable Vow to protect, help and care for me," Harry said triumphantly.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Well, there goes my reputation," he said not unkindly.

Harry laughed. "I promise Draco and I won't tell anyone at Hogwarts. You'll still be the greasy bat of the dungeons when we get back." He clamped his mouth shut when he realized he had just uttered the insult he and Ron always called Snape behind his back.

Snape didn't look angry; instead he looked faintly amused. "Well, it is about time you called me that to my face," he said.

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew. I am not a spy for nothing for one and I am not stupid for another. I've always known what you Gryffindor called me behind my back but I didn't let it get to me."

Harry flushed. "Well, anyway, it's obvious that you care for me even if you are too stubborn to admit it…"

"Cheeky brat."

"…and besides the truce probably wouldn't have lasted as long as it did if you didn't care for me. I mean, there were a few times when I was afraid I had gone to far and you were about to hex me."

"A few?" Snape echoed raising his eyebrows.

"You started it most of the time."

"I started it?"

"Well yeah."

Snape curled his lip in a sneer. "I am not the idiotic Gryffindor who does not know when to keep his mouth shut."

Harry glowered at Snape who simply gazed at him impassively.

"Come on, brat," he said finally getting to his feet. "Let's get inside and get you something to eat before Nova eats everything in the cottage." He gestured toward the wolf who just disappeared into the cottage when Snape and Harry finished speaking.

Harry laughed at that before getting to his feet and following Snape as the Potions Professor led the way back into the cottage to join Draco and Nova.

* * *

><p>As soon as Severus and Harry entered the cottage, Draco glanced up at them. "You two were out there for a while and you look in one piece. I guess Snape didn't turn you into Potions ingredients like you were so afraid he would," he said smirking.<p>

"_I_ was afraid of that? You were the one that said that," Harry protested

"Yeah but you were the one that said you might end up the Boy-Who-Got-Turned-Into-Potions-Ingredients-Because-He-Disturbed-Snape."

"Dang that is a mouth full."

"Tell me about it."

Severus shook his head with a ruefully small smile, the first real smile to come on his face since his beloved Lily was killed and all because of two boys, his godson and the son of his childhood friend. "At least you two are getting along," he said, "considering you two are going to be brothers because you are both my wards."

"Well, it could be worse, we could have Dudley as a brother," Harry said.

"Nah, we could just give him to Nova for lunch."

"Poor wolf."

Harry and Draco burst out laughing at that while Severus shook his head. _Boys,_ he thought resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he observed the two boys who were his wards. His godson of whom custody was given to him by Lucius because he had no desire to follow the dark lord and his father would not accept his decision. And the small child of his childhood friend whose childhood was so alike Severus's that he may be the only one who could help him overcome what he suffered.

"Come on you two," he said. "There are some rules I need to go over that I haven't been able to go over until now."

Harry and Draco both groaned but they did get to their feet and walked into the kitchen after Severus.

Severus knew that it would take time for his godson and the son of his childhood friend to get used to living with him and it would take even more time for them to learn to coexist with each other to where a truce won't be necessary. However and surprisingly, Severus actually found himself looking forward to the journey and it was all because of a single dark haired boy and a vow that had suddenly turned into more than a promise made to the only woman Severus has ever loved.

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**I have changed the author's note because I've changed the summary of the second book of the **_**More Than a Promise **_**trilogy. The next book shall be an AU version of **_**Order of the Phoenix**_** and it shall be entitled **_**Never Back Down**_**. It shall be posted within the next week because I need time to rewrite the first chapter. If I finish the first chapter early then I shall post it. Here is the summary of **_**Never Back Down**_**, Book 2 of the**_** More Than a Promise **_**Trilogy:**

With his new guardian and newest friend, Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year. But the Ministry refuses to believe Voldemort is back and Harry and his new friends must find a way to fight back or risk losing everything…


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